


Into the Woods

by TheGreenWitch



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Smut, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25533619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreenWitch/pseuds/TheGreenWitch
Summary: In hopes of breaking a horrible art block, you moved to a lovely cottage in the middle of the woods. You expected to relax a bit and work in your new picture book, but a very demanding cat and a stressed CEO are going to change your plans. Is there more in life than a job and recognition? How can you find a balance in life?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Original Female Character(s), Armitage Hux/Reader, Armitage Hux/You
Comments: 206
Kudos: 231





	1. Mahogany

The cold wind hit me the minute I got out of the car. The scent of pine and petrichor embraced me quickly. It was quite different from the city, but maybe I needed this. My agent had told me that I needed a break. My friends said the same thing over and over again, and even neighbors mentioned it too. Everyone seemed to believe that I was too stressed. And it's kind of true. The paints and canvas seemed to taunt me every time I tried to use them. And let's not talk about the last time I tried to write something. Art block is honestly a bitch. I need to finish the new picture book, but the words and the colors don't want to cooperate with me.  
My agent rented this little cottage in the middle of nowhere for me. The woods could easily swallow me as if they were the mouth of a massive wolf. I snatched from the trunk of the car my baggage and the groceries I'd bought in a convenience store, and I awkwardly walked to the door of the wooden house. I grabbed the door handle, but I couldn't move it. Annoyed, I put down the stuff I was holding, and I took my phone. I quickly found the number I needed.  
One second, two seconds, three seconds.  
"Hi, Y/N. Is everything okay?" asked my agent like always.  
"I can't get inside, Phillip."  
"The key must be under the rug. Didn't I mention that? Oh, God, I'm so sorry," he mumbled.  
I finally found the old thing, and I quickly put it in the keyhole. I tried to balanced my stuff and the phone while I opened the door.  
"Anyway, how was your trip?"  
"Uneventful. I was able to read on the plane, and the car you rented is decent enough. I also bought—"  
My mouth stopped moving the minute I got inside. The little cottage was straight out of an illustration of an old fable book. Even if it was the first time I was in that place, it felt cozy, warm. A comfy green sofa stood proudly on a rug that had seen better days and close to a fireplace that begged to light up a fire. There were old books on a tall bookcase, and cute details carved on the wall. There was a smell of humidity that lingered in the air, but it was almost soothing.  
"Y/N?"  
"Phillip, it ... it's beautiful."  
"HA! I knew you would like the place. The owner has several little cottages close to the lake, but I thought you would appreciate the 'aesthetic' of that one," he said with a chuckle.  
I repressed a laugh. I didn't know what to said; I just thought of all the things Phillip had done for me. He had been with me from the very beginning of my career as a writer and illustrator.  
"Thank you," I said quietly.  
"It's the least I could do for my favorite person ... and client. Now, I need you to focus on writing and illustrating your next book. We have a deadline, but I don't want you to feel pressured. Do whatever you need to do to get those creative juices flowing again. Well, except murder, and pacts with demons."  
"Come on. You're taking away all the fun. How am I going to become an old witch in the woods?" I joked. "Hey, I'm gonna started unpacking."  
"Perfect. I'll call you later, okay?"  
We said our goodbyes, and I went to the bedroom. It was as lovely as the rest of the cottage. I quickly placed my clothes in the closet and hid the suitcase under the old bed. I went to the kitchen, where I'd left the food. I moved some things to the blue cabinets, and I placed the food in the fridge. Everything was ready, and the sun was kissing the trees goodbye. I took my laptop, and I sat on the sofa.  
I opened a new document. My smile faded when a mocking white page greeted me. _Okay, I can do this. It's not that hard. It's not my first book for crying out loud._ However, the words continued to avoid me. I knew what I wanted to do; what I had to do. I could feel the story on the tip of my tongue; nonetheless, those ideas were too abstract. They didn't have a shape that I could grab to bring them down to the page.  
 _Wine, I need wine._  
I left my laptop on the sofa and went to the kitchen. I poured wine in a lovely blue cup I found in a cabinet. _A bath would make everything better. Phillip said that I should do whatever I needed to do to break the art block._ So, against my better judgment and my urgent need to work, I went to the bathroom and prepared everything for a bath. Soon, I found myself inside the bathtub, with my cup of $5 wine, and an old song of Fleetwood Mac in the background.  
Minutes felt like hours or hours felt like minutes. My body started to relax and let go of the tension I didn't know I was holding on. Heaven, it was heaven. It was a moment that you could easily capture in a polaroid, or find in those indie movies. Here I am, a successful author that is running away from creating art. The moment I felt like a fraud, I decided to get out of the bathtub. I put on my pajama shorts, my sunflower print bra, and an old white cardigan.  
I went to the kitchen, grabbed the cereal box, and walk to the living room. I saw my laptop looking at me expectantly, but I didn't take it. If I was having a pity party, I didn't need a blank page to remind me that I am a writer that can't write; that I'm a painter that can't paint.  
"At least I'm trying," I mumbled while I was eating the dry cereal.  
The ballad of the crickets suddenly stopped. It's funny how you notice these kinds of things when silence is embracing you. The sound of a branch breaking alerted me. I left my cereal box beside me, and I walked to the window. _It's probably a raccoon._  
There wasn't a lot of light, but I could see a silhouette walking eerily and muttering something. It was too tall to be a raccoon but too small to be a bear or other kind of animal. _Is that a person?_  
I've seen too many horror movies that start like this. The dumb protagonist goes outside, asks 'who's there?', and alerts the killer. Not wanting to be an example of what not to do in this kind of situation, I quickly locked the door. Then I checked every window of the cottage. No one could get inside.  
I thought the person would have left by the time I finished. However, when I returned to the window, the man or woman was still there. I wasn't going to go outside and asked him/her to leave. So, the best course of action was to wait and be ready to call the police. Fortunately, the reception was weirdly good, considering that I was in the middle of the woods. But all my plans went to hell when the person tripped with something and fell obstreperously.  
"Fuck", the person said loudly enough for me to hear it from where I was standing.  
 _What do I do now? I can't ignore that, can I? Come on. Get up. Get up. Crap!_  
I walked to the front door, and I hesitated when I unlocked it. Cautiously, I went outside. The person was still on the ground, and I started to get closer when his voice startled me.  
"The report better be on my inbox tomorrow morning. I don't care if the whole department pulls an all-nighter," the man said coldly.  
Honestly, it was a scene proper from a comedy. The poor man was still barking orders on the ground.  
"Fuck", he said again.  
He tried to put the phone in his pocket, but he didn't make a move to get up.  
"Are you okay?" I asked carefully.  
The man promptly started to move, and he turned to face me. He looked shocked, like if he wasn't expecting someone to be there. I offered my hand to help him stand, but he only frowned. The man looked strained, but he proudly—stupidly—got up by himself.  
"Who are you?"  
"I'm the person staying there," I said while pointing to the cottage behind me.  
I saw his pale face light up immediately. I followed his eyes to my chest. His gaze was on my sunflower print bra. _CRAP!_ The man averted his eyes and started to try to clean the dirt of his gray pants. And I immediately cover myself with my old cardigan.  
"I heard you fall. Are you sure you don't need help?"  
He clenched his jaw and frowned even more—if that even possible.  
"Yes. I don't need your assistance. Go back inside. I won't bother you any longer".  
"I don't mind helping—"  
"It's not necessary. Good night," he quickly added.  
He didn't give me time to answer when he painfully started to walk away. I just stood there, confused. Moments later, I went inside. _What a weird and uptight man. And what a show I just gave him._ My face was blushing as I let myself fall on the sofa.  
I started thinking about that strange encounter. The light didn't allow me to see the man correctly. Nonetheless, a feature of him was engraved on my mind: his hair color. _Cherry coke? No. Strawberry blonde? No, it wasn't that light. It wasn't brick red nor poppy red._ I went to my suitcase and grabbed my sketchbook, paints and a small brush. I started mixing colors, trying to find a replica of that man's hair color. I felt this little, minuscule, fire inside me. Even though the colors weren't talking to me like always, my movements didn't feel forced. I let a small smile escape. After all the exercises, meditations, and conversations, it felt kind of ironic that the thing that pushed me to art again was the hair color of a stranger. But I didn't question it. I only stopped when my phone started ringing.  
"Hi, Phillip," I chirpily said while I kept painting and mixing colors.  
"I'm not interrupting, right?"  
"Not at all, I'm just trying to decipher a shade of red."  
"You are painting," he said, trying to hide his enthusiasm. "That's ... That's good."  
"Yeah, I saw this particular shade of red, and I couldn't help it. I guess you were right about coming here."  
"Talking about that, how was your first day? Anything happened?"  
I chuckled.  
"You have no idea."


	2. Garnet

The old ceiling greeted me that morning. Everything was peaceful, and a sweet, cold breeze forced me to stay in bed a bit longer. I lazily extended my arm to grab my phone. It was ten a.m. It was kind of late. At this time, I would probably be working at the office. Yet, at that moment, I couldn't even picture myself getting ready for a meeting.  
Finally, the need to pee compelled me to get up. After I took care of that, I went to the kitchen, and I started looking for instant coffee. Minutes later, I had a cup of muddy water in my hands. _Okay, I miss my coffee._  
Even though my coffee was a pathetic attempt of caffeinated drink, it helped a lot. I knew coffee was not the best breakfast; however, I didn't want to cook. Instead, I started flipping the pages of my sketchbook until I stopped on a page filled with different shades of red. Yet, not a single one was close enough to the hair of that stranger. In the meantime, my laptop stared at me with a mocking aura. Yes, I'd wanted to paint again, but I didn't have a story. And without one, I couldn't continue my project.  
"I don't have a plot, nor a protagonist. I don't know my theme nor the setting. I have a color, but that's not enough," I said to myself.  
I finished my coffee—calling that thing coffee was a stretch—and went outside. I didn't even bother to close the door. I just needed to escape. Yesterday, the cottage looked so cozy, but, at that moment, it resembled a pretty cage. I felt like a bird that forgot how to sing. I came here to write and illustrate a new book, but I haven't even written a single word. Although Philip said that there was no pressure, I knew for a fact that the editors wanted a new book soon.  
Yet, the cold breeze made me forget about all for a second. I looked at the sky, and it seemed so peaceful, so gray. There were a couple of squirrels running on the trees, a bird singing not too far away, and the Sun was shining lazily. The place smelled of humidity; probably, it'd rain later.  
Peace, I was at peace for a moment.  
_At least I'm trying._  
When it got too cold, I went inside, and I took a quick and warm bath. I put on a heavy wool green skirt, a white blouse, and a red sweater. _I'm one step closer to become a hobbit._  
Afterward, I went to the kitchen, and I started making lunch. After I sautéed the vegetables, my phone rang.  
"Hi, Philip."  
"How is my favorite author and person doing?"  
"I'm ... fine. I'm just trying not to burn the kitchen down. What about you?"  
"Everything's great. I'm currently attempting to stop Rick from buying another plant."  
"Another one? But he just bought one last—"  
I abruptly stopped when I heard a weird sound coming from the bedroom. _What the heck was that?!_  
"Y/N? Are you fine?"  
"Sorry. I just heard a noise coming from the bedroom."  
For a moment, I thought that I imagined it. However, I said goodbye to that idea when I heard another sound. I'd closed the windows yesterday, and the door was locked.  
But then I remembered.  
_The fricking door!_ I'd left the door open when I went outside this morning. _I can handle this. It's probably a bug or something. CRAP. Okay. A bug can't make a sound like that._  
"I'm going to check what was that," I said—stupidly.  
"What did I say about pacts with demons?" added Phillip, obviously trying to keep me calm.  
I snorted, but I felt the tension gather on my shoulders. Cautiously, I walked down the hall. I was picturing a lot of possible outcomes until I stopped close to the bedroom door.  
"I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO BE HERE," I said loudly enough.  
"Do you want me to call the police?" murmured Phillip.  
"In FIVE minutes? Perfect. I'm just going to get ready."  
I took a deep breath, and I went inside. There was some stuff on the floor, but I didn't see an intruder. My eyes landed on the bed instantaneously. Something was under the quilt. I grabbed it, and I threw it away quickly. I didn't know what I expected, but I certainly wasn't expecting a cute ginger tabby cat looking at me.  
"Oh, hi there, sweetie," I said in a soothing tone.  
"Y/N? What's going on? Is someone inside?"  
I just stared at the cat with a smile on my face for a moment.  
"There is a cat on my bed," I finally said.  
"A cat? How?"  
"I don't know. It probably got inside when I left the door open."  
"I guess ... you have a cat now," Phillip said seriously.  
"What?"  
"Those are the rules, Y/N. You cannot argue against the sacred wisdom of a cat."  
"I don't have cat food, Phillip. I don't know anything about cats. I mean, what is safe for a cat to eat?"  
"Milk? I have no idea. Probably, it's best if you google it.  
The ginger cat just meowed expectantly.  
"Hey, I gotta go. Send me a photo of the cat later, okay? You know Rick loves cats".  
"Sure thing. Talk to you later."  
I placed my phone on the nightstand, and I slowly approached the cat. I kneeled close to the bed, and I gently offered my hand. I didn't make another move, letting the cat call the shots. The cat looked at me like it was pondering on something. Moments later, it came closer and started to sniff and rubbed my hand.  
"You certainly are a cute cat. Do you have a name?"  
No answer.  
_Of course, it's a cat._  
A few minutes later, I remembered it was lunchtime, and the cat would probably be hungry. I didn't know what to do. So, I searched what kind of human food was safe for a cat. _Let's see. I have eggs, broccoli, and peas. Perfect!_  
I finished making my lunch and a fancy meal for my—apparently—new cat. I put its food on a small plate, and, when I turned around, I found the little ball of fur sitting on a chair ready for its lunch. Okay, that's weird.  
"Here you go, sweetie," I said, placing its food on the table.  
The tabby cat leaned forward and stared at the food. For a second, I believed that the cat wouldn't eat its lunch. However, the little ball of ginger fur got closer and began to eat. So I let out a sigh of relief, and I ate my lunch peacefully while I watched the cat.  
_It doesn't act like a stray cat. Maybe it got lost._  
While I got lost in my mind, the cat finished its food. Without saying anything, it jumped off the chair and went to lay down on the sofa.  
"You're welcome," I muttered.  
I finished my meal and washed the dishes quickly. Then, I went to the living room. The cat was moving its tail lazily.  
"Would you like some music?"  
The cat just looked curiously at me.  
"Do you like Fleetwood Mac?"  
The cat snorted. And I was offended.  
"Really? And I thought you have a great taste in music. What about Mumford & Sons?"  
The cat meowed.  
"Oh, it's a lovely band. I think you would like it".  
The cat meowed once again. _Why am I having a conversation with a cat?_  
I took my laptop, and, soon, the last Mumford & Sons' album started playing. The cat didn't meow again, but it quickly fell asleep. I grabbed my sketchbook and a pencil, and I started drawing my new little friend. The color of its fur reminded me a bit of the hair color of the man, but that thought went away quickly.  
The minutes swiftly flowed while I filled several pages with sketches. I didn't pay attention to the howls of the wind. Neither to the rain that hit the windows with all its might. I only took a break to light a fire in the fireplace. And the whole scene felt nice. It was just me, the cat, and my sketches. _What if the story is about a cat, a red cat._  
I almost dropped my pencil. I couldn't believe it.  
"I just found my protagonist," I whispered. "Thank you, little one."  
I rubbed its ears, and the cat purred contently. Outside, the rain was getting worse, to the point that you couldn't see much through the windows. However, the cottage that seemed like a cage in the morning felt like a peaceful home now.  
The poor cat jumped when a loud knock on the door scared it. _What the hell?_ For a moment, I thought it was the wind because who in their right mind would go outside in the middle of a horrible storm. When the knocking on the door increased, the poor cat ran and hid in the bedroom. I got up, and, wary, walked to the window. I could see someone standing and knocking frantically at the door. I almost turned to hide like the cat, but a flash of lightning illuminated the scene developing outside. I couldn't see clearly, but I recognize a feature immediately.  
Red hair.  
_What the hell is he doing here?_  
I quickly went to the entrance, and I opened the door. The man from yesterday was in front of me. He was soaked, and he gave the impression of an angry cat after a bath. He looked upset, but there was a hit of something that I couldn't point out.  
"Come inside," I said quickly, without thinking.  
The man didn't argue and came inside the cottage. He was wearing black pants and a casual gray shirt—maybe his pajamas. His body was trembling, but he—absurdly—tried to hide it.  
"Have you seen Millicent?" he said in a strained voice.  
"Millicent?"  
"A cat. Millicent is a cat."  
_Oh. That explains a lot._ He was trying to hide how he felt, but it was evident that he was worried.  
"A ginger tabby cat?" I asked.  
"Yes!" he answered anxiously, fidgeting, and breaking character.  
"Wait a minute."  
I swiftly went to the bedroom and found Millicent hiding under the quilt. I got close and picked her up.  
"Hi, sweetie. Let's go with your dad."  
The cat pointed its ears forward and started purring like it knew its owner was close. I came out of the bedroom and saw the poor man rubbing his hands anxiously. His eyes were darting everywhere until they fixed on me, well, on his cat.  
"Millicent," he said warmly.  
I gave him the cat and smiled when Millicent started purring loudly. The man sighed with relief.  
"You are in so much trouble, Miss," he murmured sweetly.  
The moment the man finished saying that, he seemed to remember he had company. He looked at me immediately. His eyes looked like a storm of feelings, blues, greens, and grays.  
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he said, returning to his normal uptight voice.  
"It was no problem at all. Millicent is a lovely cat".  
A beat.  
A silence.  
A look.  
"We should get going. We caused you more than enough trouble."  
Millicent started complaining and fidgeting, clearly understanding his plans. It was still raining, and the cat didn't want to get wet.  
"You can stay," I quickly replied. "Well, until the rain stops. I don't believe Millicent would like to get wet".  
He narrowed his eyes.  
"You are not interrupting anything. I just was sketching some things."  
"I don't want to get your sofa wet," he countered, looking for an excuse.  
"You could use my bathrobe while your clothes dry," I returned, trying to make him stay.  
_Wait. Why I want a stranger to stay with me? Did I just offer him my bathrobe? Really?_  
He looked at the window for a moment.  
"Okay," he mumbled.  
"The bathroom is over there," I pointed out, sheepish.  
He reluctantly put down Millicent and went to the bathroom. Moments later, I was knocking on the bathroom door while holding a fluffy floral print bathrobe. The door opened a bit, and a pale hand appeared in front of me. I gave him the robe, and an awkward silence followed.  
"Sorry. It's the only one I have."  
"It's ... okay."  
I went to the living room and sat on the sofa. Millicent quickly jumped on it and laid next to me. The music kept playing, almost forgotten, and the rain accompanied it in harmony. A minute later, the stranger came to the living room.  
I had to hold my laugh when I saw him. The poor man was holding his wet clothes, and he was looking down, clearly embarrassed. My bathrobe hit barely above his knees. I could see his pale legs trembling a bit. From where I was sitting, I saw him frowned like he was expecting a comment on his image.  
"Sit here," I said as I got up. "You need to get warm."  
I walked up to him and took the wet clothes.  
"Thank you," he said.  
He sat next to the fire. The man looked quite uncomfortable until Millicent started purring. I was placing his clothes on a chair close to the fireplace when his voice startled me.  
"What's your name?"  
"Y/N L/N," I answered too quickly, "what's yours?"  
"I'm Armitage Hux."  
"Well, nice to meet you, Armitage," I said with a smile.  
He looked at me funny, and I couldn't pinpoint the meaning behind his gaze.  
Another beat.  
Another silence.  
Another look.  
_Okay, this is awkward._  
"Would you like some coffee?"  
"No," he said dismissively and without thinking.  
_Rude much?_ His eyes opened ridiculously, and he slumped his shoulders.  
"I ... I mean, I can't drink coffee," Armitage quickly added.  
"Okay ... What about some hot chocolate?"  
"That would be lovely."  
Maybe it was a shadows game, but I saw a minuscule and clandestine smile when I looked at him again.  
Armitage Hux was a weird man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments, kudos, and hits! I'm so happy that so many people like this story. <3


	3. Ginger

I was looking for another mug in the kitchen. However, my mind was on the man sitting on the sofa: Armitage Hux. When I left the living room, he was as stiff as a stick and was sitting straight and uncomfortable. He only relaxed a bit when Millicent demanded his attention. _Why in the seven hells did I think that this was a good idea?_ The image of Armitage Hux wearing my bathrobe got engrave in my memory. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my mind away from that image. Then, I grabbed two mugs full of hot chocolate, and I went to the living room.

The scene developing there warmed my heart. Armitage was humming a tune while rubbing Millicent's ears. The cat was purring happily, and I didn't want to interrupt them. However, he noticed my presence immediately and stopped his actions. He put his shoulders back and sat straight. The poor Millicent complained and tried—ineffectively—to get his attention back.

"Here you go," I said sheepishly.

"Thank you," he answered, grabbing the mug.

The wind kept howling, and the rain was getting worse. I sat at the opposite end of the sofa, holding my mug. It was clear that we were avoiding each other looks. I didn't know what to say or how to start a conversation, and I kept quiet. Armitage, on the other hand, took a sip of his hot chocolate and fixed his gaze on the mug.

Instantaneously, he almost spat out his drink and started coughing. I went to help him. I took the beverage from his hands, and I place it on the coffee table. I rubbed his back in a soothing motion until the coughing spasm stopped. He looked at me, and, at that moment, I realized how close we were. We moved away in synchrony—and awkwardly.

"Was it too hot?"

"No, it was—"

His face acquired a bright red shade straight away, and he looked down. Armitage mumbled something, but I didn't understand what he said.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you."

He took a deep breath. "

The mug."

_The mug? What?_

I slowly turned to look at his mug. It was a regular one. It wasn't chipped nor dirty. _Then, what's going on?_ Abruptly, my gaze lingered on the pretty sunflower that decorated the mug. _A sunflower? Why would it—_

"Oh," I whispered.

_A sunflower._

My face was burning while my mind went immediately to last night's memories and to the bra I was wearing. He remembered. _Damn it._ Our eyes met, and we both blushed even more. We quickly looked down and away. The situation was getting more awkward as the minutes passed. Armitage finally coughed and tried to recover his calm. I just got back to my seat.

"So ..." I muttered.

I tried to start a conversation, but the idea died as soon as I said the first word. Armitage looked at me. There was a slight blush on his face. Fortunately, a sound distracted us. His eyes landed on the notification on my laptop screen.

"Do you have WIFI here?" he asked quickly.

"Yes," I said, trying to act normal. "It's weird. One would think that, because we are in the middle of the woods, the reception would be terrible".

Armitage looked at me incredulously, and then he just frowned. He narrowed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. _What's his problem? Did I say something offensive?_ He realized how uncomfortable I felt, and his demeanor changed a bit.

"Last night..." he said.

Armitage took his mug, and he looked at me for an instant.

"Last night, I needed to make a call, but the reception back in my cottage was atrocious. So, I tried to find a place where the signal would be better, and, well, I ended up outside your home. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. What I'm trying to say is—"

_'I'm no a creep,'_ I finished his sentence in my mind.

"It's okay," I said.

I didn't know how to continue the conversation. So, I just said that and waited for Armitage's reaction. However, he just nodded and took another sip. _Why I'm acting so awkward?_ At that moment, I noticed that he kept looking at the screen of the laptop from time to time.

"You can use my laptop if you want to," I said shyly.

He fixed his gaze on me immediately. Armitage looked like a kid who got caught opening his presents before Christmas.

"The rain won't stop soon. If you need to work, you can use it. I mean, I don't mind," I rambled quite quickly.

He kept looking at me, trying to decipher if there was a catch.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. I was sketching anyway," I added, pointing at my sketchbook.

He turned and saw the drawing I was working on before.

"Is that Millicent?" he asked.

"Yes, she is a wonderful model."

He smiled. Our awkward conversation was interrupted by the ringing of my phone. I stood up, but before I started walking, Armitage called me.

"You truly don't mind if I use your laptop?"

"Yes, go ahead."

I went to my bedroom and grabbed my phone. A picture of a smiling Rick hugging Philip greeted me.

"WHERE IS THE CAT?! I need the photos!"

"Hi, Rick ... Well, Millicent is currently sleeping on the sofa next to her owner."

"Wait. What? Philip said that you had a new cat."

"Yeah, but it looks like the cat already had a home. Millicent's poor owner was looking for her in the middle of the storm. He was soaked when he came."

Rick didn't say anything for a moment, but then his voice was like a clap of thunder.

"HE? I need details, Y/N."

A laugh escaped from my lips. _Rick never changes._

"There is nothing to say, honestly. Armitage is still here because the rain hasn't stopped. He is in the living room next to the fireplace while his clothes dry," I said quickly.

"Wait ... WAIT. Are you telling me that there is a naked man in your living room?!"

"RICK! He isn't naked! He's wearing my bathrobe."

"Okay, what's going on? That went from 0 to a 100 rather quickly. You usually aren't like this with men. You tend to do this awkward dance of 'I don't know if I like him' and now look at you, miss."

"It's not what you are thinking. I'm just trying to be a good neighbor."

"'Good neighbor' my ass! Come on, Y/N. At least tell me about him."

"Armitage ... He, well, he is weird".

'Weird' was the perfect word to describe the man in my living room. He was handsome, yes. Yet, his nice-looking features were hiding behind a mask of coldness and stiffness. Armitage looked like he was always in the middle of a battle, maybe a bit like a general. But a the same time, Armitage seemed like a man that needed to say something but didn't have a voice.

"I need more, Y/N. Anyway, I want you to keep me informed of everything."

"Okay."

"Promise me!"

"I promise, Rick."

"And don't forget about the photos of the cat!"

I laughed again, and we said our goodbyes. I left my phone on my bed and went back to the living room. From where I was, I could see Armitage quite well. He looked focused on his work. My eyes went from him to the screen of the laptop. I stopped for a second, and I couldn't hold my tongue.

"Are you Googling me?" I said, surprised.

Armitage turned and froze. He stared at me with wide eyes and closed the laptop at once. I just raised one eyebrow as an answer. Armitage's face was as red as his hair. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish begging for air. I couldn't help to start laughing, and his blush got worse. I felt kind of bad for laughing, and I tried to make him feel better.

"Did you find something good? It's been a while since the last time I Google myself."

I went to the sofa and sat next to him, closer than before. I looked at him expectantly. He just cleared his throat and waited a bit before saying something.

"It ... It says that you've written several books for children. Your last three books were on the New York Times bestseller list. There were articles about your work, but mostly photos of you signing books and that kind of stuff."

"I hope I looked well in the photos," I said joking.

"Undoubtedly," he answered without thinking.

Our eyes met, and our cheeks burned at the same time. We quickly looked away. We were acting like children. I didn't understand why I was behaving like that. So, I did the only sane thing that I could think.

"I better start making dinner. Is pumpkin soup okay?"

"You don't have to. I don't want to impose. Besides, I don't want to make your boyfriend uncomfortable."

_Boyfriend?_

_Oh, smooth._

"I insist. I don't think that Millicent here would appreciate getting all soaked," I counter-argued.

I started making my way to the kitchen, but I suddenly stopped and looked behind.

"And I'm single, by the way," I added.

Armitage looked down and tried to hide a small smirk. But he rapidly found my eyes again.

"Do you need help with dinner?"

"Yes, please."

He quickly followed me to the kitchen, and, weirdly enough, we fell on a comfortable dynamic. He opened the can of pureed pumpkin while I chopped and sautéd onion and garlic. Armitage added the pumpkin purée and broth. While we were waiting for the soup to boil, he made Millicent's dinner, and I started making the homemade croutons. Then, I blended the pumpkin mixture and added heavy cream, salt, and pepper.

"So, could you tell me more about you?"

"Pardon me?" Armitage said, looking at me.

"The only thing that I know about you is your name and that you have a cat. You can't blame a girl for wanting to know more."

He resumed his task frowning. Armitage seemed like he was pondering what to tell me.

"I'm the CEO of the First Order, a private security company. We bring peace trough order," he said in a well-rehearsed voice.

"That sounds important—"

"It is," he interrupted me.

_Okay, note to self, his job is kind of a touchy subject._

"It's must be difficult to run a company," I said, trying to make a conversation.

"The First Order is quite efficient. And I'm not the only one making the decisions. There's the Board of Directors and the other CEO, Kylo Ren," he spatted that name.

_Okay, second note to self, I shouldn't bring the topic of this 'Kylo Ren' guy._

He was tense. Armitage seemed passionate about his job, but he looked like he had the world on his shoulders.

"Either way, you should be proud of what you do," I mentioned.

Armitage let the spoon he was using fall. His eyes were wide, but he was looking into space. Armitage recovered after a few seconds. He picked up the spoon and mumbled a 'sorry.' Then he continued his task, and I thought the conversation was over.

"Thank you," he said softly. I

just smiled at him. I swiftly added a bit of ginger to the soup. I offered him some soup with a spoon. Armitage moved his face closer and savored it. It was like we've known each other for a long time. There was a—strange—sense of intimacy in the way we were acting.

"It's delicious," he said, looking at my eyes.

"Ginger always makes things better."

He chuckled. Armitage Hux looked so different, more relaxed. That night we ate and talked about everything and nothing, like old friends. Millicent ate happily with us and then took a quick nap. By the end of the dinner, the rain had stopped, and Armitage's clothes were dry. He went to the bathroom to get dressed while I took a few photos of Millicent. He came back and stopped close to the sofa.

"Millicent, it's time to go home," he said softly.

The cat just got closer to me and started purring.

"Miss, you caused more than enough trouble for a day."

Millicent looked at Armitage and yawned bored. Her owner just raised an eyebrow, and I couldn't hold a laugh.

"Come on, sweetie. Your dad wants to go home," I said, picking her up.

Armitage gave me a little smile and took Millicent from my arms.

"She likes you," he said, impressed.

"And I like her," I responded, petting Milicent.

My eyes moved to Armitage, and we were silent for a moment. His eyes looked like a storm before. But now they had a warm shade of green with a bit of blue. Again.

A beat.

A silence.

A look.

_Warm. It feels warm._

However, the moment was interrupted by a bored Millicent. We both chuckled and walked to the door.

"Well ... Thank you for everything, Y/N. And I'm genuinely sorry for all the inconveniences we caused you."

"I was more than happy to help."

"Have a good night."

Armitage turned to leave, but something felt off.

"You know," I started, and he stopped. "If you have trouble with the reception, I wouldn't mind if you come over and work here."

I felt my cheeks start getting warm, and I wanted to look away. Nonetheless, I maintained eye contact.

"Only if you don't mind," Armitage responded after a beat.

"I don't," I said too quickly.

"Okay, thank you ... I should go now."

"Good night, Armitage."

He looked a bit perplexed when I said his name for a reason I didn't understand, but he gave me a small smile. He said goodbye and left. Yes, Armitage Hux was a weird man, but—

there was more than that.

Yes, he was more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! I'm very grateful for all your support and your kind words. You have no idea how happy they made me.  
> I hope you have a lovely day, and, in case things are not the best, please try to picture Hux wearing a short floral print bathrobe.  
> Love,  
> The Green Witch


	4. Blood

Armitage Hux didn't come the next day, nor the day after. There were no signs of Hux nor Millicent. They merely vanished, as if those memories were not real. It was probably for the best. Likely enough, he fixed his problem with the WIFI, or, maybe, Armitage Hux just wanted to be alone.  _ In the end, people move to the middle of nowhere to be left alone. I think so.  _

At least, I started working on my new story. The day after the 'Hux incident,' my brain was finally cooperating with me. I covered my closet door with colorful post-its full of ideas about my protagonist. Nonetheless, the next day, I could only see them and wondered how I was a published author. I ended up throwing all of them to the trash, well, except two. 

Anyway, at that moment, I felt stuck. I felt like the protagonist of an indie movie when they realize the many lies that surround who they are. I felt like a joke, a phony. 

_ Stop. _

_ Breath. _

_ Be kinder with yourself _ . 

I needed air, so I took my sketchbook, went outside, and sat under the shade a pine tree, loving the fresh air. I'd always dreamed of being a writer. I loved the idea of creating worlds and characters. However, as I became better known as a writer, something changed. I started getting worried that my new books weren't good enough, that I wasn't good enough. I feared that people would realize that, and my dream would suddenly slip through my fingers. 

_ Stop. _

_ Breath. _

_ Be kinder with yourself _ . 

I took a deep breath, and the chirping of the birds made me smile. My eyes move from place to place. Green, there were lots of green shades around me. The leaves shifted with the wind resembling the skirts of a ballgown. And the soil felt alive. I took a green crayon and started drawing the scene. Moments like this made me feel just like me, not the version of me from whom everyone expected only the best. I draw and let my mind create a world inhabited by the Fair Folk. 

I had filled at least five pages when the sky began to turn gray. I stood up and went inside. While I waited for my lunch to be ready, I drank another cup of that dreadful coffee. My mind unwittingly went to Armitage Hux when I saw the sunflower mug on the cabinet. There was something about him. I just wanted to know more.  _ That's all, no? _

_ Well, if Armitage Hux Googled me, I have all the right to do the same.  _

I grabbed my lunch and the laptop, and then I sat on the sofa. I quickly wrote Hux's name on the search bar. I didn't think I would find a lot of information; however, there were a lot of articles about him and his father, someone named Brendol Hux. I read some headlines such as "Armitage Hux, the New CEO of the First Order," "Hux: Family Connections or Skills," "How to Lead: A Talk with Armitage Hux," "Is Hux the Best Choice for the First Order?". Nonetheless, there was a headline that stood up among the others: "Retired general, real-estate developer, and businessman Brendol Hux died yesterday." I clicked on the link and started reading the article. 

There were some photos of Brendol Hux; he was a pale man with blue eyes. It looked like his hair used to be reddish, but, in his last days, he had a grayish shade. I started reading and found out that Brendol Hux had died of a mysterious disease.

Shortly, one article led me to another one, and I ended up reading an interview. I didn't know what to think about Armitage's father. Brendol Hux was, well, severe to say at least. He was a shark with deadly teeth. Brendol Hux worked hard to get far in life. Because of this, he had a harsh way of seeing everything. I wouldn't have minded that, but the way he talked about his son was cruel. 

"My son? Well, I guess the apple fell away from the tree," I started reading out loud. "Armitage is weak. I've yet to find something he is decent at; however, he still has time to prove himself. I may seem a bit harsh, but I believe this is how you build character, with pressure." 

_ Fuck him.  _

_ How old was Armitage when Brendol did this interview? Fourteen? What the actual hell was wrong with him? _

Promptly, I closed that tab and opened a new one. Then, I realized that I couldn't find a single photo in which Armitage was smiling. He always had a straight face, unreadable. I kept looking, and—out of the blue—I noticed a picture of a young Armitage next to Brendol Hux. The first one seemed almost afraid, and his father looked too self-absorbed to care about the kid next to him. 

I finished my lunch, put away the laptop, and washed the dishes. Yet my mind kept thinking about the same: I was right about Armitage. There was more about him. However, at that moment, I couldn't pinpoint what. I just knew that the man in those pictures was different from the one I talked with last night.

However, I felt sort of guilty after reading those articles, like I was snooping too much. So, trying to think about something else, I chose to take a quick bath. The warm water helped me relax, and I couldn't help to stay a bit longer than necessary. I only got out when the water was cold. I swiftly put on my floral print bathrobe and jumped on the bed. It was getting colder, and some wine—no matter how cheap it was—sounded like the perfect idea; however, I didn't want to move. 

A knock. 

I thought for a moment that I hadn't heard well, so I didn't do anything. Promptly, I heard another knock.  _ Armitage.  _ I stood up so quickly that I ended up kicking my flip flops under the bed. 

Another knock.

"I'm coming!"

I hurriedly found my green flip flops. I put them on and walked—ran—to the door. However, when I opened it, I didn't find anyone. I poked my head out the door and saw a now-familiar shade of red walking away and mumbling something.

"Armitage!" I shouted—way too excited. 

He stopped instantaneously, and I went to meet him outside. In a matter of seconds, I was in front of him, smiling. Millicent meowed happily in his arms as if she had recognized me. On the other hand, Armitage had a strange look on his face. He was wearing a black suit and was carrying a briefcase. Weirdly enough, he also was holding what it looked like a diaper bag.

"Hi," I said. 

"Hello," he answered. 

Our eyes meet for a beat; then he looked down and smirked.

"You truly love floral print clothes, don't you?" 

I blushed immediately.

"Flowers make everything better."

"I think you said the same about ginger."

_ He remembered. _

"If you have flowers and ginger, what more could you ask for?"

He gave me a small smile, accompanied by a—almost inaudible—snort. He found my eyes again, but his smile fell quickly.

"I am not interrupting you, right?" he said, nearly embarrassed. 

"Not really. Would you like to come inside?"

Armitage nodded, and we went back inside. He left the 'diaper bag' and his briefcase next to the sofa and looked around expectantly. 

"You can work wherever you feel more comfortable," I said, smiling. "I'm going to get dressed."

However, curiosity got the best of me. So, I stopped midway and turned around. 

"That's Millicent's diaper bag?"

"I prefer to call it 'cat bag.' I didn't want to cause you more trouble again, so I came prepared." 

He frowned. It's a miracle that that man didn't have any wrinkles. Armitage seemed like he was ready to hear a mean-spirited comment and was pondering how to respond.

"It's a good idea. I'm going to mention it to one of my editors. She just rescued her third cat," I said, showing sincere interest. 

He relaxed instantly and even offered me a tiny smile. I just nodded, went to my bedroom, and started looking for what to wear. For a strange reason, everything seemed kind of dull. Because of that, I spent a few minutes just throwing everything around until I found a green dress. I put it on and looked in the mirror. I adjusted a few loose strands of my hair and smile at my reflection. I felt pretty. 

I left the room and found Armitage sitting at the table working on something. Millicent was sleeping next to him on a chair. He noticed my presence and looked at me. It could have been my imagination, but there was a soft red tint painting his cheeks. 

"I ... I have a meeting in a moment. You don't mind the noise?" he asked sheepishly. 

"Go ahead. I'm going be working in the living room if you need anything."

He muttered a 'thank you' and went back to his work. So, I walked to my usual spot on the sofa and grabbed the laptop. I put on my headphones and opened a new document. The sweet intro of "New Soul" by Yael Naim filled my head. 

_ Okay, just try.  _

My eyes settled on the white screen, and my fingers started drumming on the keyboard. From where I was sitting, I could see Armitage's head. He looked like a grumpy cat frowning like that. And that was the moment I had an epiphany. I had found how to start my story. It didn't matter if it was just for a moment: I felt happy. I felt like I was in my old bedroom, writing stories on notebooks.

The music changed, but I kept writing. I only stopped when a curious Millicent jumped next to me. I smiled at the cat and started petting it. I saw the clock out of the corner of my eye. Millicent was probably a bit hungry. I took off my headphones, and the voice of Armitage rumbled through the cottage. I stood up and saw him. He looked, well, awful. His pale skin was white as a paper, and his shoulders were stiff. He was stressed. 

"You won't question my work. My team is exceptionally trained and capable enough to produce a perfect work plan, Ren," spatted Armitage with venom. 

_ Ren? Is he talking with Kylo Ren? _

"Are you sure, Hux?" said a man in an 

exceedingly condescending voice. 

"I can assure you, chairman Snoke, that this a well-thought plan that shall lead us to increase our profits exponentially." 

"We will analyze both options carefully, and then we will give you our decision," said a third—and old—voice. "Gentlemen."

The meeting seemed to be over, but Armitage kept looking at the screen. 

"I hope they choose my plan, for your sake, of course." the 'Ren' guy said. "We don't want another incident."

"Ren, you—"

Millicent meowed loud enough for Armitage to hear, and he turned around. However, his gaze didn't land on the cat, but rather on my surprised face. Armitage was about to say something when he was interrupted by that obnoxious man.

"You got company, Hux?"

"Goodbye, Ren." 

Armitage closed the laptop right away and took a deep breath. I felt his eyes on me after that. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry—"

"Millicent is hungry, isn't she?" he interrupted me with a tired look.

I nodded.

"There are salmon treats in the bag. Just two, or Millicent won't eat her dinner."

I nodded again, and, shortly, Millicent was eating her treats. Even though the cat looked adorable, my eyes were on its owner. 

"You are bleeding," I mumbled, feeling alarmed. 

"What?"

Armitage touched his nose and got his fingers stained with red. 

"Crap," Hux muttered.

I quickly went to the table and grabbed a napkin. I tilted Armitage's head forward and pinched his nostrils just below the center. 

"Please keep applying pressure," I say while I touched his forehead with the back of my hand to measure his temperature. "Come."

Armitage just looked at me, dumbfounded. I just raised one eyebrow as saying 'don't dare to say no.' He stood up and followed me to the living room.

"What are—"

"Take off your jacket and sat down. I'm going to—"

"You don't have to—" he started saying on the defensive.

"Armitage, you need to rest. Please."

He looked at me, pondering what to do. After a few minutes, he gave in and sat down. At full tilt, I went to the kitchen, grabbed the first mug I found and made a chamomile tea. Armitage was still on the sofa—uncomfortable—when I returned. I gave him his beverage, and he took a sip. Armitage seemed not used to being looked after. 

"This is not necessary, Y/N. Please, stop. I'm not sick."

I just narrowed my eyes in response. 

"I'm just stressed, okay?" 

"Stress can be as harmful as other illnesses. Just take a break, please?"

His eyes met mine, and he let out a harsh breath. Armitage finally nodded. I went to the fireplace to light a fire, but I felt his eyes fixed on me the whole time.

"I—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

"I always seem to humiliate myself when I'm in front of you," said Armitage to himself in a soft voice. 

"I think we are even," I said without looking. "I mean, in a week, I've made a fool of myself in front of you on two separate occasions." 

The fire came alive, and I finally turned around. Armitage looked at me funny, a mix of cynical disbelief and tenderness. I sat close to him, and he gulped. 

"Let's see how this is going."

Armitage removed the napkin, and we waited a bit. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, and I felt relieved.

"See? Like nothing happened." 

He smiled. 

"You are good at this," he mentioned. 

"I used to babysit my neighbors' kids, and they had a terrible predisposition to accidents. I had to learn first aids because of that."

He chuckled, and I waited a bit before saying anything. He was still tense. I had an idea, but I didn't know how he would react. 

"Armitage? Would you like to watch a movie?" 

I cringed at how childish I sounded. I didn't know why I was trying so hard to make Armitage feel better. Yet there I was, attempting not to look nervous. Hux puckered his forehead and fixed his gaze on the fire.

"No. I should go back to work," Armitage said automatically. 

_ Okay, ouch.  _

_ That hurt.  _

"Oh, okay. I'm going to throw this in the trash," I said, grabbing the bloody napkin.

I stood up and left the living room as fast as I could without showing how embarrassed I felt.  __ I took refuge in the kitchen and drew in a long breath. I felt so dumb at that moment. 

_ Okay, new plan: act as nothing happened _ . 

"Y/N?" 

_ Crap _ .

I turned and found him looking down. Armitage had a slight blush on his cheeks and seemed nervous.

"I didn't express myself correctly back there. What I meant was that I didn't want to interrupt your work any longer, not that I didn't want to watch a movie with you. I would truly like that," Hux murmured that last part.

"Oh." 

My shoulders relaxed, and a blush spread on my face. Our eyes finally met again, and we both smile sheepishly. 

"I don't mind a break ... We both need a break," I said shyly. "Just give a moment, and I can make some sandwiches for dinner."

"No. Let me make dinner tonight, you have done more than enough. Go and find a movie you want to watch."

"Oh ... okay."

I smiled one last time and left the room. The night was getting colder, so I grabbed a quilt before going to the living room. I took my laptop and started looking for a movie on Netflix. 

"The Truman Show?" I asked, raising my voice a bit. 

"Sure!"

Minutes later, Armitage came to the living room with a few sandwiches and hot chocolate. He left the food on the coffee table and quickly turned to Millicent. He got her dinner ready rapidly, and then he sat next to me, closer than before. I just smiled at him and covered us with the quilt. I saw him blush from the corner of my eye, which made me a bit happy. I pressed 'play,' and the movie started.

Hux was kind of stiff at the beginning, but when a spotlight felt close to Truman Burbank, Armitage relaxed a bit and got more comfortable on the sofa. 

I looked at him for a moment. Armitage didn't seem like the man from the photos and articles I saw. He took a sip of hot chocolate, and my eyes landed on his mug. 

"Really?" I said, embarrassed.

He looked at me curiously. I just pointed at the mug he was holding. 

"What? After all, it's my mug. I like sunflowers too," Armitage said with a smirk. 

I just laughed, and he joined me soon after. I didn't know who moved closer first, but our shoulders were touching by the middle of the movie. 

One movie became two, and so began the movie marathon. Millicent shortly fell asleep next to the fireplace. At a point, I felt a weight on my shoulder. I looked down and found a sleeping Armitage leaning on me. 

I didn't move or wake him up. He was tired after all. 

I just smiled.

I didn't pay attention to the rest of the movie. My eyes felt heavy, and soon I ended up closing them. Armitage was breathing calmly, and that worked as a lullaby for me. I felt like I was in the place the good ones go, that moment felt like home. 

_ Warm.  _

It felt warm.

I didn't know how we ended up like that, but I was sure of one thing: I wanted to feel like that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments, kudos, and hits! This chapter took a bit longer to write, but I hope you like it. :D


	5. Blush

It was warm, yet I didn't want to move. It wasn't uncomfortable at all; instead, it felt pleasant, like a slow kiss in the afternoon. However, I felt a weight on my chest that compelled me to—at least—open my eyes. Everything was blurry until I got used to the light, and then I saw an alluring red shade right in front of me. I looked around, checking my surroundings as memories from last night flooded my mind. After a minute or maybe two, my gaze went back to that red shade. 

_Oh._

Armitage moved a bit, and I thought for a second that he was waking up as well. Nonetheless, his calm breathing told me everything I needed to know. Feeling bold, I moved carefully and started playing with his hair. Armitage sighed and buried his head in my chest, snuggling himself closer. I felt my face getting warmer, but I didn't have the heart to wake him up. He was breathing so calmly that it would have been a crime to disturb him. And, besides, I recognized that I didn't want him to move away. So, I kept running my fingers through his hair, and I closed my eyes once again.

Yet, life had other plans, well, technically, Millicent had other plans. A loud meow forced me to open my eyes. Sweet and inconvenient Millicent was sitting on the coffee table, meowing as if it was the end of the world. I stopped stroking his hair and stayed still. 

"Miss, it's too early for this," Armitage said with a raspy voice. 

Millicent just meowed again in response. 

"Give me one more minute, Millicent."

And—as expected—the cat meowed again. I couldn't stop myself from chuckling, and, in that instant, I felt Armitage tense. I saw in slow motion how he realized where he was lying. Right away, Armitage started getting up. However, his moves were so abrupt that he ended up falling from the sofa and taking me with him.

We fell with a soft huff. I opened my eyes and found myself on top of Armitage, straddling him. His face was crimson, and mine probably had a similar shade. Neither of us dared to say something, nor move. We only looked at each other, at least until Millicent meowed again. 

We turned to see her, and I could swear that cat was smirking, feeling proud of itself. Millicent got up and just walked away as if nothing had happened. I gave one last glance to Armitage. The crimson shade was still on his face, and he was tense. 

"Sorry," we both said in unison.

We both got up and stood awkwardly in the living room, away from each other. I didn't know what to say or how to make that moment less uncomfortable. Armitage seemed to be pondering something, but, whatever it was, made his shoulders relax. His eyes finally found mine, and he offered me a tiny smile. I gave him one in response, and we both got closer in silence. 

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I don't remember falling asleep." 

He was playing with the hem of his shirt, and it was clear that he was trying hard not to look away. 

"It's okay, I mean, I didn't mind."

"Oh ... you didn't mind," he repeated—dumbfounded—to himself. "Would you like—"

Millicent meowed once again. _Oh, come on!_ _REALLY?!_ Armitage furrowed his brows and sighed. 

"Sorry. Millicent is quite impatient in the mornings."

I nodded and watched in silence how he started making Millicent's breakfast. After a few seconds, I went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. I asked him if he wanted tea, remembering what he said the day I met him. He just nodded, thankful.

After I made his tea, I took a sip of my coffee and drew in a long breath. 

"That smells dreadful," said Armitage behind me.

"It tastes just like it smells," I answered as I gave him his mug. "But it was the only instant coffee available in the store."

He chuckled and gave me a soft look. His smile grew wider when he saw that I had given him his sunflower mug. Yet, Armitage seemed like he wanted to say something but was holding back. 

"So, you were saying ...," I said, encouraging him.

Armitage looked at me and cleared his throat. 

"Yes ... Would you like to go to the lake? I mean, with me," he added that last part quite quickly. "Would you like to go to the lake with me?" 

A soft blush painted my cheeks, and I couldn't have hidden my smile even if I tried.

"Yes ... Today?"

"Today? I was thinking—"

He frowned for a second and looked down, but he rapidly found my eyes again.

"Today is perfect. I only need to call Phasma".

Armitage started walking to the living room but stopped abruptly. He turned and stood there a moment, looking troubled. 

"Phasma is in charge of the training and recruitment program. She is a friend. Just a friend," he quickly added. 

It was clear that, as soon as the last word left his mouth, he realized how cringy that had sounded. Armitage was embarrassed and walked away before I could say something. I just smiled and, weirdly enough, discovered that the coffee didn't taste that bad that morning. 

I went to my bedroom to give him a bit of privacy. I was making a mental list of what I had to do that morning when Millicent jumped onto the bed. I sat next to her and started petting her. The cat purred in content and made itself comfortable next to me. 

"You know, Millicent, waking people up can be quite rude, especially when they are comfortable." 

Millicent just ignored me. 

"Not everybody has your energy in the mornings."

I heard a chuckle, and I looked up. Armitage was leaning on the door, smirking. 

"I think she isn't paying attention at all," he mentioned. 

"You think?" I answered with a laugh. 

He got quiet for a moment, just appreciating the scene in front of him.

"I'm going home to get change and read a short report. Let's met at the lake at 4. I will bring something to eat." 

"Are you sure? I don't mind making some snacks."

"Yes, don't worry. I have more in my cooking repertoire than just some simple sandwiches." 

I smiled. Armitage's gaze moved from me to Millicent.

"Miss, it's time to say goodbye." 

The cat, in response, just stretched out and yawned. Armitage sighed, and I laughed out loud.

"I swear she behaves well." 

Armitage picked up Millicent while I laughed, and then we went to the living room. I helped him grab his stuff, and I walked him to the front door. We stood there like teenagers on their first date. 

"You know how to get to the lake, right?" he asked me. 

I just nodded.

"I saw it when I got here. It's not far."

"Okay, four o'clock?"

"Four o'clock," I replied with a smile.

We said our goodbyes, and Armitage left. The cottage felt empty immediately. So, I took my laptop and put some music. It was strange how I got used to Armitage's presence so quickly. _Stop it. Why am I acting like this_? 

I ate some cereal while I doodled on my sketchbook. I forced myself to focus on my story, and I started making the first rough sketches of my protagonist. When I tried to find the right shade of red, my mind went over and over again to Armitage. So, I put my crayons down and took a bath. The icy water felt horrible, but that helped me focus. 

Three Louden Swain's albums later, it was time for lunch. So, I poured hot water to one of those instant ramen soups. I started eating as I walked to my bedroom. It wasn't the best ramen—it didn't like ramen at all honestly—and kind of reminded me of my time in college. Yet, I didn't mind at all. I was a woman on a mission.

First, I grabbed a long brown wool skirt, but I wasn't digging the 'Frodo Baggins' look. Then I saw a yellow dress, but it was too short, and I didn't want to recreate the iconic Marilyn Monroe scene on _The Seven Year Itch_. After a few bad choices, I took a flowy white dress. It wasn't short enough for me to worry or fancy enough to make me feel out of place. So, I changed my clothes and put on a blue cardigan too. I finished eating and getting ready, and I went outside.

There was a narrow path to the lake close to the cottage, so I started walking. The weather was lovely, and there weren't any signs of that horrid storm from a few days ago. Some leaves were beginning to turn orange and red; soon, the forest would be a red sea, mimicking the sunrise colors.

The woods were alive, singing a sweet lullaby. My shoulders dropped, releasing the tension I didn't know I was holding. Yet, as I got closer to the lake, my breaths quickened. I ran my hand through my hair, and then I saw Armitage. He was wearing a more casual outfit than yesterday: dark blue jeans and a button-up black shirt. 

Armitage was tugging at his shirt collar and holding a small gray backpack. He was looking at the teal lake and didn't notice my presence. 

"Armitage!" I said happily. 

He drew in a long breath and turned around. I walked up to him and murmured a 'hi.' He asked me to followed him. We walked along the shore in comfortable silence until we found a wooden pier. We chose a place, and then we sat down. Our feet were above the water, and the sun was still shining above us. He took his backpack and opened it. Silently he offered me a weird looking baked thing. 

"It's a microwave chocolate mug cake. I just took it out of the mug," Armitage said with a small voice.

I thanked him and gave it a bite. Maybe it wasn't the best looking cake, but it tasted heavenly. Armitage smiled proudly and gave me a bottle of water before starting to eat his 'mug' cake.

"So, you like it?" he casually mentioned, acting as he didn't care.

I smiled at him.

"It's delicious. You weren't lying when you said that you had a large cooking repertoire."

He snorted in response.

"I had to learn the basics. Besides, cooking makes me feel closer to my mother." 

"Your mom?"

"She was a cook."

'Was,' that's the keyword. Armitage looked at the distance. He seemed lost, walking alone through memories that didn't appear pleasant. 

"What was she like?" I dared to ask. 

There was a pregnant pause until he finally opened his mouth to say something.

"Honestly, I don't know." He stopped, evaluating what to say next. "I never met my mother. I only know that she was a cook and that I have her eyes. I know that last thing because Maratelle, my father's wife, mentioned it once." 

Armitage clenched his jaw. I felt horrible for bringing that kind of memories up, but, at the same time, I was grateful he felt comfortable enough to talk about them with me. Slowly, I moved closer and held his hand. He immediately tensed and looked down as he was analyzing the situation. For a second, I thought that I had bothered him. And I was about to move my hand away when he intertwined his fingers with mine. He relaxed and let me see a tiny smile. 

"What's your best dish?" I asked.

"Soda bread," Armitage said without hesitation.

I turned to see him better.

"Soda bread?"

"You use baking soda and buttermilk to help the bread rise instead of yeast and hot water. It's the best bread for toasting." 

I chuckled. Our eyes meet, and my face felt warmer.

"I could teach you how to make it ... if you want." 

"That would be lovely," I answered too quickly. 

He reached his free hand to my face and moved a loose strand of hair. He started moving even closer, and I held my breath. However, he only did that to remove a minuscule leaf that had gotten stuck on my blue cardigan. _Stop it. What were you expecting?!_ He let go of my hand and cleared his throat. There was a soft pink on his cheeks, just like the one on mine.

After that, he asked about what I like and my other hobbies, and he listened to me. Armitage paid close attention to every single word I said as if they were the air he needed. I honestly felt so cherished at that moment. When we finished eating, he put the trash back on his backpack to throw it away later. He looked at me with gentle eyes. 

"Would you like to go for a walk?" 

"Sure." 

He stood up faster than me, but his moves were so hasty that he ended up losing his balance. I saw his panicked face as he fell—again—to the water. 

"Armitage?" 

I looked around, but I didn't see him emerge from the water. I was getting worried when I saw a red spot. I breathed a sigh of relief. Armitage looked like a very pissed wet cat. 

"Are you hurt?" I asked quickly.

"I just hurt my pride," he said under his breath but loud enough for me to hear.

Armitage's face turned red. So, I stood up and took off my cardigan and shoes.

"What are you doing?" 

I didn't answer; instead, I took a few steps back, ran to the edge of the pier, and jumped. 

The water was ice cold, but it wasn't too dreadful. I swam to the surface and found Armitage with a bewildered look on his face. I got closer and offered him a smile before getting underwater again. I swam around him, and I could faintly hear Armitage calling me. 

"You're it," I said, emerging from the water and touching his back.

"What?" he answered, turning around.

"You're it."

"Are we playing tag now?" he asked, amused. 

"Yes!"

I started swimming away from him. Armitage stayed there for a moment or two, before letting a laugh escape. 

"You better watch out, miss." 

His laugh was so carefree that it startled me. It was the first time I had heard Armitage laugh so happily. And, at that moment, I promised myself that I would try my best to make him laugh like that more often. Then I turned around and saw him getting closer. I started swimming, but he caught me. 

"I guess you're it now.'" 

He swam away rapidly. I tried to catch him but, every time I got closer, he increased his speed. It was a cat-and-mouse game. 

"It's not fair! You are too fast."

"I used to be on the swimming team back in college."

"Come on! Show some mercy to this poor mortal."

"Never," he said while his smile grew wider. 

That ignited a competitive fire inside of me, and I swam up to him faster. He was moving gracefully in the water, making sure to check where I was from time to time. So, I took a deep breath and dove. He didn't move, and I took advantage of that. I got very close before emerging from the water. He looked surprised to see me near him.

"Smart move," Armitage said.

He didn't move even when we were face to face. He was smiling, his eyebrows were relaxed, and his body didn't hold any tension. I drew in a long breath, got closer, and kissed him on the cheek. Armitage sighed. 

I moved away, and our eyes met. 

"You are it," I muttered.

"That's the last thing on my mind right now." 

He was getting even more closer again but stopped when a raindrop fell on his face. We both looked up and saw that different gray shades danced in the sky. 

"We should get out," he said. 

I nodded, and we both swam to the shore. By the time we arrive, the rain got worse. We ran to the pier to grab our stuff. Then Armitage took my hand, and we started running. 

We were cold and wet, and yet I wouldn't have changed a single thing. We ran laughing in the rain like two school kids playing hooky. Long forgotten were our jobs, responsibilities, and worries. 

We finally stopped in front of a tall pine tree, finding shelter from the rain. Armitage was smiling brightly. The rain was getting louder, and the raindrops danced freely in the woods to the rhythm of that wild melody.

"My cottage is closer," he murmured at my ear.

Holding hands, we got ready and ran. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind words, kudos, and hits! I won't get tired of repeating how much they mean to me or how grateful I am. I hope you like this chapter too.  
> Love,  
> The Green Witch


	6. Brick

Armitage closed the door behind us. Our chests rose and fell with quick breaths after our run, and our clothes were dripping water. Although we were wet and cold, our smiles never fell, and Armitage didn't let my hand go. There was a warm sensation filling me. I turned to see him and found that he was looking at me intensely.

"I'm sorry we got caught in the rain," he said. 

"Don't be, I like it ... it was fun." 

His eyes seemed like a storm, unlike the rain outside. Armitage was holding back the words he wanted to say. Although he had been vulnerable at the lake, there was still a flimsy wall of bricks between us, a stubborn wall that was stumbling after the rain. I could see it; there was uncertainty in his eyes.

However, I couldn't ponder any longer about the meaning of his gaze, because a very demanding Millicent came to where we were standing. Yet, his eyes were still on me. 

"You must be cold."

I nodded, not trying to hide it. Millicent gave an indignant snort when Armitage guided me to his bedroom. We get inside, and he let go of my hand. He looked down, flustered. Armitage cleared his throat while I looked away. Then, he went to his closet. 

"Sorry. I don't have anything with floral print," Armitage said, holding a chuckle. 

"Then, you should start questioning your fashion choices, sir."

Armitage let out a heartfelt laugh as he turned, holding a baggy gray hoodie and a pair of black loose pajama pants. He offered me the clothes, and I took them. He stood there, awkwardly. 

"Oh ... right, I should go to let you change," he said, rushing his words and blushing.

I nodded, feeling my cheeks getting warm. Armitage left the room soon after, and I was left alone. The room was technically like mine, except that there was something that felt different. It seemed inhabited, like a hotel room when you first arrive. Everything was pristine, in order, like a painting of someone in need of control. There was a glimpse of life, but it got eaten by the monster of order and cleanliness.

I took off my wet clothes and put on Armitage's. The spicy, woody smell of aftershave hugged me at once. Even though the clothes held the same air of newness than the rest of the room, weirdly enough, they still smell like him. After I got dressed, I grabbed my dress and cardigan and went to the living room. 

Armitage was still wearing his wet clothes and was kneeling in front of the fireplace, getting warm. He turned, and his face gained a soft crimson shade as he looked at me wearing his clothes. He took my mine and put them close to the fire, but I felt his gaze on me the entire time. There was a pregnant pause between us.

"Please, sit down ... I'm going to get changed."

I nodded and sat on the sofa. It was kind of similar to the one in my cottage, even though it felt a bit uncomfortable and stiff. Millicent quickly jumped next to me and demanded to be pet. I softly scratched her head while she purred in content. The rain had stopped, and everything seemed peaceful and quiet.

Armitage came a moment later, put his clothes next to mine, and sat close. Millicent was between us without paying attention to the awkward tension that was growing. I turned to look at him. His hands were fidgeting, and he fixed his gaze on a random spot on the blue rug. 

"Thank you for today," I said, trying to dispel the tension.

My voice finally took him out of his mind, and his eyes found mine. Armitage took a deep breath and gave me a small smile. 

"Thank you ... truly," he said with a shy voice.

The warmth came back, slowly melting the bricks between us. Without saying anything else, we got closer. Our sudden movement forced Millicent to jump to the rug. We chuckled, and Armitage took my hand. He looked at me, and the flames made his eyes shine with intensity. His face got closer, and I mimicked his moves. My gaze went from his eyes to his lips as he drew in a long breath. 

My heart was galloping inside my chest. As we got even closer, I started closing my eyes. Armitage's nose bumped into mine, and that made me smile. His breath made my skin tingle. We were so close when a damned sound made us open our eyes. Armitage swiftly turned his crimson face away, and I jerked my head in the direction of that blasted noise. My phone was ringing. 

_ Really? I mean, REALLY?! _

"It must be my agent ... I will call him later," I said, trying to save the moment.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I—"

My phone started ringing again. I had no other option but to grab it and answer the call. I was right; it was Phillip. It was probably something urgent because he usually didn't call so insistently. 

"Phillip?"

"H-ho-w a-a-re you?"

"Hello? Hello? Phillip, I can't hear you."

The call ended suddenly. I turned and saw Armitage looking at me.

"You weren't lying about the terrible reception."

He chuckled and seemed more relaxed. 

"It gets worse after rain."

My phone rang again, but I couldn't talk to Phillip. I frowned, a bit worried. Armitage stood up and walked up to me. 

"If it's urgent, I could walk you home."

"No, don't worry. I don't want to bother you."

"It's not a bother at all." 

Armitage swiftly put out the fire as I grabbed my clothes. I said goodbye to Millicent, and we went outside. We walked holding hands in silence, but, this time, it felt strange to say at least. It felt like both of us wanted to say something, to do something, to find a way to prolong our walk. However, his cottage wasn't that far from mine, and we found ourselves in front of my door rather quickly. 

The air was chilly, and the moonlight painted the trees around us with soft blue shades. We were face to face, but our eyes were on our hands. Finally, our eyes met again. The warmth in my chest slowly crept up to my cheeks.

"I—" he started saying. 

However, he stopped abruptly. And the brick wall I felt vanished before promptly built itself back up. I didn't know what to say or to do to keep that wall away. 

"I ... should go. Millicent is probably hungry." 

Armitage moved swiftly and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. He massaged the back of his neck as he looked down. The color of his hair was painting his cheeks, and a sheepish smile adorned his face.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night, Armitage." 

He let my hand go and left, not before looking back at me. I could see a tiny smile hiding somewhere, and that gave me hope. I put a hand on the cheek he kissed, and I smiled. I went inside and, even though it was dark and cold, I had a spark in me that kept me warm. I turned on the light, took out my phone, and quickly called Phillip.

"Hello?"

"Thank God, you're alive! I was getting ready to fly there and fight the aliens that were trying to abduct you." 

"Really? Aliens? Honestly, you have to stop watching  _ Ancient Aliens  _ before going to bed." 

He laughed heartily. 

"I know, I know. But, to be honest, I was worried. You always pick up the phone right away."

"Don't worry ... I just that I was on a date," I said that last word a bit quieter. 

"A date?" Phillip asked. 

"Did you interrupt her date?!" Rick said on the other side of the phone. 

"How could I know that she was on a date?" he said to his husband.

"Put her on speaker!"

"Rick, wait!"

I laughed, picturing my friends trying to get a hold of the phone. 

"Was it with the 'Armitage guy'?" Rick asked.

"Wait, who is Armitage?"

"The naked man on her sofa, love. I told you about it."

"RICK! He wasn't naked—"

"Yet."

"You are the worst," I said, laughing. "But, yes, I went on a date with Armitage. And it went good, I think."

"Did you kiss?" asked Phillip, curious. 

"No ... I think we were about to kiss when you call."

"OH MY GOD! You interrupt her kiss, Phillip!!"

I chuckled while my friends were bickering. But my head went back to all those instants when I was sure that we would kiss; Armitage held back all the time. I knew that there was something there, but I couldn't stop the path of the monster of insecurity as it crept up to my chest. It only stopped when I heard Phillip saying my name. 

"What's his last name?"

"Hux, Armitage Hux." 

A pause. 

"He looks constipated," said Rick. 

"What? No! Wait, are you Googling him right now?" 

"What kind of friends would we be if we weren't doing our research."

I smiled. 

"Well, he ... is a good man, and he doesn't look constipated," I quickly added. 

"As long as he treats you like you deserve—"

"We want to meet him," Rick interrupted. 

I just laughed again.

"Anyway, let's go back to business," Phillip said. "The editors called, and they want to know how the story is going. You told me you had the beginning, right?"

"Yeah, I have ten pages, a few rough sketches, and color tests." 

"Could you send me those?" 

"Sure."

I took a few pictures of my sketches, making sure that I had good light. Then I send them to Phillip with the ten pages I'd written. He got quiet for a moment, and that scared me a bit. Nonetheless, I didn't say anything. 

"I like it," he finally said. "It's different, but it's you ... How can I explain it? I mean, it's a different approach, but it feels like you put a bit of yourself on the pages."

"Really?" 

"Yeah, it's good, really good ... I'm going send this to the editors. You keep writing, painting, and doing whatever you are doing because it's working." 

We talked a bit more and, then, we said our goodbyes. I had dinner and went to bed early. I found myself lying down on my bed, still wearing Armitage's clothes. I smiled and closed my eyes. The night was calm, and I felt merry, forgetting about that monster of insecurity that was hiding under my bed. Although things didn't go as I expected, I felt closer to Armitage. And I realized I wanted to be closer to him. And with that last happy thought, I fell asleep. 

The next morning I was awakened by a knock on the door. I stretched and got off the bed. As I walked to the entrance, I fixed my hair, trying to look decent enough. I opened the door and found Armitage holding Millicent, the 'cat bag' and a suitcase. He looked at me sheepishly and blushed when he noticed the clothes I was wearing.

"I'm so sorry. Did I wake you up? I can come later and—"

My laugh interrupted him, and Armitage looked at me, confused. 

"Don't worry. I forgot to set my alarm, and you just saved me. I didn't want to spend all day in bed." 

He hesitated before smiling and nodding. He went inside and put Millicent down. The cat walked to its usual spot on the sofa, and Armitage went to the table. 

"I got a message about an urgent meeting. I'm truly sorry—"

"Hey," I said, interrupting and walking up to him. "Stop saying you're sorry. It's okay."

Armitage had a strange look on his face. So, I acted on a mere impulse and kissed his cheek. It was a quick kiss, like the one he gave me last night. 

"I'm going to take a bath, okay?"

Armitage's eyes were as big as the moon, and his face was burning. He nodded and sat down. I smiled and silently congratulated myself as I walked to my bedroom. I grabbed my clothes and went to the bathroom. The water was warm that morning, and it helped me to feel relaxed and fresh. A happy ukulele song took me away and made me forget about everything for a moment.

Vance Joy's "Riptide" was ending when I got out of the bath. I pressed pause, and I heard Armitage's voice. He seemed upset, but I couldn't distinguish the words he was saying. I started getting dressed, paying more attention to his voice than to my dark blue dress. The day was colder, and I ended up putting on Armitage's hoodie too. Then, I slowly opened the bathroom door, and I could hear his voice better.

"Sir, I ask you to think longer about your decision. Ren's plan is too impulsive, too reactive. The First Order needs to make steady steps to continue growing," Armitage said. 

"Are you questioning our decision, Hux?" an old voice said.

"No, chairman Snoke. I only want the Board of Directors to reconsider my plan. You see, if we focus on increasing our sales and gather new clients, we could—"

"We heard enough, Hux. The decision is final. Ren, good job and congratulations. Gentleman." 

"Certainly, it's for the better, Hux."

"Good day, Ren."

I silently got closer. Armitage abruptly closed his laptop, and I saw how his hands tightened into fists. His body was stiff as he lowered his head. 

"FUCK!" he said loud enough to scare Millicent.

The cat ran to my bedroom, and Armitage's regretful eyes follow it until his gaze fixed on me. His face, previously crimson with anger, paled. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, and he stood up swiftly. 

"I should go," he said.

"Armitage, wait." 

He didn't move, and I walked up to him. I offered my hand, and, miraculously, he took it. We walked in silence to the sofa and sat down. Armitage adjusted his tie with his free hand and looked down. I was about to say something when he spoke.

"The Board of Directors chose Kylo Ren's work plan ... again." 

I felt how his hand started shaking a bit. 

"I'm sorry." 

"I don't want your pity," he spatted without thinking. 

Armitage searched for my eyes as soon as the last word left his mouth, offering me a silent "sorry." He slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"It was meant to happen. I'm never good enough," Armitage said with a small voice. 

"Armitage, I've seen how hard you work. You have talent. You're capable."

Armitage pinched his nose, incredulity creeping over his mind.

"I'm sorry. I should go. You don't want to hear my pathetic attempt to explain why the Board of Directors didn't choose me again."

He was ready to get up, but I stopped him. His eyes held a hurricane, and the brick wall between us was growing stronger.

"And that's where you are wrong." 

Armitage looked at me intensely and confused. I take his face on my hands, holding his gaze.

"I want to hear what you gotta say. I want to hear everything you need to say." 

"Why?" he said in a whisper.

"Because I care."

"You care?"

"I do."

And the brick wall tumbled with the force of two words. He softly said my name before getting closer. By instinct, I closed my eyes as I felt his nose brushed mine. My heart was jumping up and down on a frenetic dance on my chest. And everything stopped when I felt his lips on mine. We both moved tentatively at first, and then we lost ourselves in the sensations. His lips parted as his hands cupped my face.

Then his hands moved from my face to my waist, bringing me closer to him as he deepened the kiss. There was nothing between us, nor a wall nor idiotic insecurities. There was no rush behind his actions, no desperation. Instead, the kiss was like a young tree spreading its roots in fertile soil. 

We slowly broke the kiss, and Armitage leaned forward, resting his forehead on mine. We both were breathing hard, but our smiles never left. Armitage chuckled, breaking the comfortable silence. 

"I like you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe that one of the hardest things for a writer is to put herself/himself/themself out there. Because it's scary, to be honest. And I wanted to thank you all for your kindness. You all bring a little extra happiness to my life.  
> See you soon,  
> The Green Witch.


	7. Raspberry

"I like you."

Those words were like a wave of warmth that crashed in my chest. I smiled and slowly opened my eyes. Armitage was looking at me. There was a bit of worry or maybe apprehension in his gaze. Then I realized I hadn't answered him yet, and he was getting nervous. I gave him a quick kiss and moved away a bit so he could see me better. 

"I like you too, Armitage." 

Till that moment, I used to believe that I had already seen Armitage's brightest smile, but, in that second, I realized I was wrong. I had never seen Armitage smiling like that, so untroubled and with a sense of belonging that made him feel at peace. I probably had a similar look on my face. It had been a while since the last time I let my guard off with someone. People used to say that growing up would make you humble and brave. But, to be honest, growing up usually makes you wary of others. Yet, right there, I knew I could trust him; I knew it was worth trusting him. 

No more walls nor fears: just a new beginning.

Armitage gave me a gentle look, and he cleared his throat. 

"I believe the lady hasn't had her breakfast. Let me make you something." 

He held my right hand and kissed it. I chuckled at his action. 

"A lady could get used to that," I said, joking. 

"A lady should," he answered softly. 

He didn't give time to say anything else because he got up and went to the kitchen. I stayed on the sofa, smiling like an idiot. Millicent jumped right next to me. Immediately, the cat started snuggling and purring. My mind got quieter, and I let myself absorb the sounds around me. Armitage was humming a soft tune while he cooked. I felt comfortable; the little cottage had become a haven for me and—hopefully—for Armitage too. 

The delicious smell of breakfast invaded the living room. Although Millicent protested, I got up and went to the kitchen. I leaned on the door as I watched Armitage moved swiftly around the place. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket anymore and seemed comfortable there. His moves were precise and rapid. It was clear that he had spent a lot of time perfecting his cooking abilities. 

"A lady is staring," he said without looking back at me.

I felt the heat rising to my cheeks, but that didn't stop me from saying something. 

"A lady likes the view." 

Armitage put down the knife he was using to chop some vegetables and turned to look at me. His face was burning, and it wasn't from the heat of the stove. He smiled sheepishly.

"I don't think I would ever get used to that kind of comment," Armitage said frankly. 

"Well, a lord should," I said with a cheeky smile.

He just chuckled. 

"Come here."

And I complied. Armitage cupped my face with his hands and looked at me as if he was deciding something. Then, without missing a beat, he kissed me. My hands went to his dress shirt, holding on him as if I would fly away.

"I won't get used to this," I said with a smile.

He smiled and kissed me again. What I said was true; every kiss carried an ounce of newness, but, weirdly enough, it also bore something that felt like coming home. We only broke the kiss when we heard the sizzling sound of the hot oil. Our faces were flushed, but we were smiling like idiots. 

"I don't want to ruin your breakfast," Armitage said softly. 

"Can I help you?"

"Sure, I don't know how do you make that muddy water of yours," he said with a smirk.

I laughed soundly. I dropped my hands from Armitage's shirt and went to the cabinets.

"It's terrible, but I need my coffee in the mornings. I still have no idea how you can properly function without coffee."

"In the beginning, it was hard. But you get used to it, and then you don't need coffee anymore. It's a small price that I have to pay to stay healthy. It's the doctor's order, after all."

I took out my mug and Armitage's, the instant coffee, and the black tea. I turned around when I heard that last part.

"The doctor's order?"

"Yes, it's part of my treatment for gastritis. Well, technically, it's stress-induced gastritis. But let's not talk about that. It's boring and pathetic."

"No, it's good to know." 

He looked at me as asking why while I poured the hot water in the mugs. 

"I can keep an eye on you if you get too stressed and help you relax."

"I can think of different ways you can help me relax," he said without much thought. 

"Really?"

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled. Armitage realized what he just implied and started coughing as his face turned bright red. He turned and started moving his hands, not finding the right words.

"It's not that. I wasn't talking about sex. I mean, it's not that I wouldn't want to do that with you. Just, crap! I just, what I wanted to say—"

I couldn't hold my laugh any longer. Armitage looked at me, dumbfounded. I felt sorry after I saw how flustered he seemed. 

"It's okay, Armitage. I was teasing you." 

He was embarrassed, but he smiled.

"Either way, what I meant was that I feel relaxed next to you." 

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as I walked to the fridge. 

"Me too." 

My smile fell when I saw the interior of my fridge. I still had some food, but I needed more vegetables and milk.

"Hmm."

"Is something wrong?" Armitage asked.

"It's nothing. I just need to go shopping." 

"Oh, we can go after breakfast." 

I turned around to look at him better. 

"If you want to ..." he quickly added. 

"Armitage, you don't have to walk on your tiptoes around me." 

"I guess ... I'm just out of practice." 

We both chuckled.

"I would love it if you come with me, but don't you have work to do? I don't want to cause you any trouble," I said carefully. 

"I can ... do it later." 

That felt different. I studied Armitage's face, but he was sure of what he was saying. Although I'd known Armitage for a short amount of time, I quickly learned that his job was crucial for him. The poor man worked so much. So, I smiled. It was nice seeing him choosing to have some time off, especially after that horrible meeting that he had in the morning. 

"Perfect! Let's go after breakfast then."

Armitage nodded as he placed the omelets on the plates. A moment later, I grabbed the mugs and put them on the table next to our breakfast. We sat and started eating in comfortable silence. 

"It's delicious," I said after a while.

Armitage grinned, proud of himself, and continued eating. We talked about the movies and books we like for a moment. After we finished our food, we washed the dishes, moving around the kitchen in a sort of domestic dance. 

Moments later, I said goodbye to Millicent, and I grabbed the keys and went outside; Armitage followed me soon after. I walked to the car Phillip'd rented for me and started the engine. Armitage sat on the seat next to mine and adjusted his seat belt. Then, we started our journey. 

"This is the first time I see this car moving," Armitage commented. 

"Oh, Phillip rented it for me, but I prefer to walk or just stay indoors."

"Phillip is your agent, right?" he asked with a bit of insecurity in his voice. 

"Yes, he and his husband, Rick, are my closest friends. Phillip is the one who suggested me coming here. He thought I needed a vacation." 

He got silent for a moment, pondering on his next question while I drove comfortably. 

"Vacation?" 

"Well, more of a time out to try to beat a horrible writer's block. Phillip believes that writer's block is more of a symptom rather than a condition. So, he bought me a plane ticket and sent me here," I said with a chuckle.

"Well, I'm grateful he did that ... He seems like a nice fellow."

I smiled, nodding in agreement. 

"Believe it or not, Phillip and Rick want to meet you."

"Oh, so you have been talking about me with your friends."

I didn't turn to look at him, but I could hear the smirk in his voice. I felt my cheeks getting warmer, and I studdered before giving a proper answer.

"Maybe?" 

Armitage laughed freely. 

"I've talked about you with Phasma too."

"Good things, I hope."

"The best things." 

We both smiled as the woods were left far behind us. Armitage pointed out a way to a small town close to the forest and with a decent grocery store. After a few more minutes, we arrived. The wooden houses and stores painted with earthy tones made me feel like I went back in time. I parked the car in front of the grocery store, and then I fed the parking meter. However, my eyes fell on the cute flower shop next door. 

Pink Veronicas, roses, marigolds, rattlesnake plants, and more decorated the showcase of the store. Yet, my gaze landed on a lovely plant with a big daisy-like flower face: a sunflower. A pretty red ribbon adorned its pot, and it looked like the plant had buds waiting to bloom. It was perfect. Armitage stopped right next to me and followed my gaze. 

"Do you want one?" 

"Oh, no. I was just looking," I said quickly. "Come, let's go shopping."

I held his hand and walked to the grocery store. We grabbed a small shopping cart and started exploring the different aisles as we took the things we needed. We were having fun, and Armitage even argued about the pros and cons of different kinds of cereals. It wasn't a grand date or something out of rom-com movie, but it was good, familiar, and even intimate.

We filled our cart with vegetables, yogurt, a better instant coffee, a box of Chocolate Rice Krispie treats that Armitage wanted, and a few more things. When we were about to pay, an idea crossed my mind and made my face flushed for an instant. 

"Hey, I forgot something. I'll be right back," I said. 

I walked swiftly to the pharmacy aisle. There were colorful boxes and medicines for all kinds of things, but I quickly found what I was looking for: condoms. I reached my hand and stopped before grabbing the box. 

_Do I want this?_

_Do I truly want this?_

_Yes._

I took the box and started making my way back to the cashier counter. I giggled and felt like a teenage girl for a moment.

_Better safe than sorry._

When I arrived, I felt confused when I didn't see Armitage anywhere. The clerk smiled knowingly at my actions as she placed the groceries in paper bags. 

"Your boyfriend went outside a few minutes ago." 

_My boyfriend?_

_Oh._

I was too flustered to correct her, so I just gave her the box I was holding. 

"Could you add this, please?"

"Oh, he already paid for all this."

_What?!_

"Oh, so, how much is this?"

"$6." 

I gave her the money and put the paper bags in the cart. I thanked the clerk and walked outside, but I didn't find Armitage. I tried not to worry as I placed the groceries in the trunk. I returned the shopping cart to its place and went back to my car. I was wondering if I should go looking for Armitage when he appeared holding two raspberry ice creams.

"Sorry! I didn't think I would take too long."

He rapidly walked up to me and offered me a cone.

"Here, for you."

"Don't worry, and thank you ... Armitage?" 

"Yeah?"

"Next time, let me pay for the groceries."

He just chuckled at my comment.

"It was the least I could do. After all, I've been eating at your place almost every single day." 

"Well, I invited you." 

He smiled softly, took my hand, and kissed it. Then, we leaned back on the hood of the car and began eating the ice cream. It was a bit tart, but it was so sweet. It was glorious, and I couldn't hide my smile. Armitage's chest swelled with pride when he saw me. The sun was shining above us, and there was a sweet breeze dancing around. I still could smell the woods even though we were not that close. I sighed. 

"I'm going to miss this place," I said without thinking.

Armitage looked panicked right away.

"Are you leaving soon?" 

"Oh, no," I rectified, seeing what my words implied. "I have to finish my book first."

"Good," he said while sighing. 

I turned to see him. He was smiling and relaxed. A bit of raspberry ice cream found its way to the right corner of his mouth. I got closer and kissed him right there. Armitage started coughing, and a crimson shade painted his face. I chuckled. 

"Miss," he said, holding his laugh. 

"Sir," I responded, pretending innocence. 

We laughed and finished our ice creams. Then we went back to my cottage. The trip was short and uneventful, filled by the music on the radio and the sweet calm that surrounded us. I parked the car next to the wooden house, and we got out. Armitage helped me carry the bags inside. And I was about to put the milk in the freezer when I saw Armitage standing in the middle of the living room. 

"I should get going ... I need to write a few reports."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't ask that, or I'll want to stay longer," he said with a smile. 

I smiled and nodded; then, I walked up to Armitage as I helped him gattered his stuff. Before leaving, he put down his things and faced me. For a second, I believed he was going to kiss me again. However, he brought me closer and hugged me. I could hear his heart beating calmly in his chest and how he sighed as he rested his forehead on my shoulder. We stayed there, and not even Millicent dared to make us part. 

Moments later, he let me go, not before giving me a quick kiss. 

"Thank you," he said. "Can I come tomorrow after lunch?"

I chuckled at his sudden formality. 

"You're are always welcome, Armitage. No need to ask."

He had a gentle smile on his face, and we just stood there for a beat. Armitage cleared his throat. He picked up his things and held Millicent, who was watching us with a knowing look on her face. Then, we finally said goodbye.

As soon as they left, I throw myself down on the sofa. I covered my face with my hands. I was happy. I let myself revive the memories from my morning before getting up to put away the groceries. After a few minutes, I made a quick lunch. I grabbed my food and the laptop, and I went to the table. Right away, my fingers were dancing on the keyboard as a fresh wave of creativity hit me. 

I only stopped for dinner, and when my hands were too tired. For a moment, I wondered if I should call Phillip or Rick, but I realized it was too late when I saw the screen of my phone. So, I changed my clothes and laid down on my bed, happy. That night, sleep came easy to me. 

The next morning, I wake up to the sound of my alarm. Immediately, I started with my daily routine. When I was putting on a dark green dress, a knock on the door alerted me. I thought it was Armitage, but it was still too early. I finished dressing, and, carefully, I walked to the door and opened it. However, there wasn't anyone outside. I lower my gaze, and I saw sunflowers. It was the same potted plant that I saw yesterday. My heart was pounding inside my chest, and my smile couldn't grow any wider. I picked it up and found a small note.

"The lady in the store told me that if you hope to keep someone in your life for a long time, you should gift that person a potted plant. Sunflowers seemed appropriate. See you soon, Armitage," I read out loud. 

My face felt as warm as my chest, and my poor heart was doing a wild dance inside of me. I put the plant on the coffee table. Then, I sat down on the sofa with a dumb smile on my face while I reread the note.

_So, it's not just a fling for him._

Another knock on the door took me out of my mind. I stood up swiftly and walked—ran—to the entrance.

"Armitage!" I said, opening the door.

"Luckily, I am not."

A man with sharp blue eyes and gray hair was standing in front of me. He was wearing an expensive black suit and had an intimidating aura around him.

"Enric Pryde. A placer, dear."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all your kudos, comments, and hits!  
> Now it's time for a new player to join the game.


	8. Redwood

When I was younger, I used to believe that names had a special aura around them. For example, when I said "Daisy," I would travel to an imaginary field of flowers, and the name "Jo" reminded me of an impregnable tree in the middle of a storm. However, the name of that man was like the touch of ice in the middle of a winter night. Enric Pryde was a harsh name. Yet, it wasn't his name the thing that made me uncomfortable; it was his gaze. He looked at me as if he was studying my moves, like a hunter. 

"Nice to meet you." 

I said my name, but I didn't invite him in. I stood at the entrance, wondering who was that man, and what was his relationship with Armitage. 

"I'm looking for Armitage Hux. It's work-related," he said. 

_ Work?  _

_ Why he came all this way instead of calling him?  _

I didn't think a lot about it because I focused on another thing. Enric Pryde had said Armitage's name with repulsion as if he was talking about expired food. That didn't sit well with me.

"I think you have the wrong address, Sir. Armitage doesn't live here," I said.

"My apologies, dear. Do you happen to know where I can find Hux? I'm afraid it's urgent".

"Oh, he lives in the next cottage, the one closer to the lake."

He gave me a cold smile. I couldn't shake the feeling he was analyzing every single word I said. 

"Would you be so kind as to show me the way?"

I didn't want to help him, to be honest; however, I remembered how important was his job to Armitage. So, I gathered my keys and my cellphone, and I went outside. I closed the door and asked him to follow me. The woods were quiet, too quiet for my taste. It was as if the forest was wary of him as well. 

Enric Pryde gracefully walked—no, almost slid—next to me. He cleared his throat, urging me to look at him.

"So tell me, dear, how do you know Armitage Hux?" 

_ Okay, that was direct.  _

I turned to look at him, pondering what to say. He didn't seem to like Armitage; thus, I had to be extremely careful. I didn't believe he would appreciate me telling the story of how we met. Also, I didn't want to say something that Pryde could use against Armitage. So, I gave him my best and more innocent smile before answering. 

"I'm just his neighbor. We met a few weeks ago." 

"Good. The man is incompetent enough without being distracted." 

"Pardon me?" I said before I could hold my tongue.

I stopped. Pryde gave a condescending look, like the one you give to a child who knows nothing about the world. 

"Oh, sorry, dear. If you knew Hux better, you would agree with me," he said. "He is just a pitiful attempt of CEO."

I didn't say anything as he chuckled at his comment. 

"Let's stop talking about him. Tell me more about yourself, dear. What do you do for a living?"

I didn't answer right away. I honestly didn't want to continue that conversation. I needed to get to Armitage's cottage and get away from that man. He was getting in my nerves. 

"I write children's books," I said as I started walking again. 

"How adorable," he answered without looking.

It was official: I didn't like that man. I'd hoped that he had finished talking, but I was wrong.

"Oh, the life of an artist. It must be lovely to enjoy a simple life without any worries.' _ " _

I smiled sarcastically at his comment. 

"Well, a lot of artists would think differently. After all, every art is a craft that requires work and dedication," I said calmly. "Though technics, decisions, emotions, and more, you show your very own self to the public."

Enric Pryde chuckled. He looked at me, moved his head to one side, and gave me, once again, a sardonic smile.

"Kids must love your books. You have such an innocent way to see the world."

That wasn't a compliment at all. I remembered Pryce was Armitage's boss, and I didn't want to cause any trouble. So, I nodded and walked in silence. A few minutes later, we arrived. I gently knocked on the door, and I heard an abrupt thud inside and hurried footsteps. 

"Y/N! Did you—" Armitage started saying as he opened the door.

The smile on his face fell when his eyes found Pryce's. Armitage's shoulder stiffened, and he stood straighter. That wasn't the same man from yesterday. That man that was standing in front of me was the one from the photos and articles I read. 

"Sir, I wasn't told that you would come." 

"There was a reason you weren't informed. There are multiple reasons you don't get informed of a lot of things, Hux." 

Armitage squinted his eyes and clenched his jaw in response. Enric Pryde suddenly turned and fixed his gaze on me. Armitage immediately looked panicked, and his boss seemed please about that. 

"Dear, no matter how much I enjoy your presence and your wonderful and pure way to see the world, I need to discuss private information with this man."

"Oh, sure. I'll go back to my cottage." 

"It's nothing against you, dear. You're such a joy," Pryde said with a viperine smile.

I shift a bit, uncomfortable. 

"Don't worry. Nice to meet you, Sir."

My gaze went back to Armitage's eyes. There was something he wanted to tell me, but I didn't understand what it was. I needed to tell him something, but the questioning gaze of Pryde held me to utter some words of support. 

"Armitage, nice to see you again. Have a nice day." 

That was the right thing to say in front of Pryde, but Armitage looked hurt for a moment. He nodded and gave me a strained smile. I turned and started making my way to my home but, not soon after, I looked back. I saw Enric Pryde get inside of the cottage. My eyes locked with Armitage's, and we both smiled shyly. 

"Thank you," I muttered. 

He took a few seconds to understand what I said; but, when he did, he smiled brightly. There was the man I saw yesterday, not the cold CEO I just faced. He was about to say something, but Pryce called him. He gave a sympathetic nod and went inside. 

I stood there for a moment or two before I began to walk again. The birds, fortunately, were chirping once more. However, something didn't felt right. The presence of that man and how Armitage reacted when he saw him were clear indicators of that. I wanted to know more, but I wasn't a fly on the wall. The only thing that I could do was to go home and wait for Armitage. 

The path felt longer for a strange reason. When I arrived, I went to the kitchen and made myself a chamomile tea. I took my laptop and started writing and rewriting a few paragraphs. However, my mind wasn't in the right place. I tried several times, but I was getting frustrated. I closed the laptop in an abrupt movement and sighed. I was about to get up when my eyes landed on the sunflowers. I couldn't hide my smile. I took my crayons and sketchbook, and I began to draw them. They'd moved a bit in the morning as if they were the nymph Clytie trying to see Apollo. I tried to go beyond the flowers and show in my drawing how happy they made me. The crayons helped me convey all those feelings of hope and joy, and that warmth that filled me when I saw them. 

I was giving the final touches to the drawing when my phone rang. I quickly grabbed it and answered. 

"Hi, Rick." 

"I am not interrupting a date, right?"

"No, but talking about that ... we kissed."

"TELL ME MORE! As your friend, I demand every single detail." 

I chuckled at his antics, and I could imagine him sitting on the edge of his armchair, waiting for my answer.

"It was ... warm." 

"Honey, you're a writer. You can do better than that. Warm like 'hey, let's take this somewhere private,' or warm like 'oh, cute puppy love'?"

"Rick!" I said, laughing. "Warm like home ... I guess."

Rick kept quiet for a moment.

"You truly like this guy, don't you?"

"I think I do," I said, painting the final petal in my drawing. 

"Thank you, God!" he said while laughing excitedly. "Being serious, it's good to see you finally opening up to someone. And where is this guy? Naked on your sofa once again?"

"No, at his home. Some creepy man from his work showed up looking for him." 

"A creepy man?"

"Yeah, someone named Enric Pryde."

"Oh ... that's not good news."

I didn't answer immediately, wondering why Rick said that.

"Do you know Enric Pryde?"

"Personally, no. Do you remember Lisa? My friend from the book club."

"Yeah, she's the owner of an art supply store. The Happy Beaver, right?"

"Well, she was. Enric Pryde bought the building where her store was located and raised the rent. And he didn't just raise the rent: he tripled it. Lisa couldn't pay, so he kicked her out. The other small business closed too soon after," Rick said, clearly upset. "He didn't say anything rude to you, did he?"

"Well, he was extremely condescending and kind of insulting when we talked."

"If he hurts you, he won't see what's coming for him," he said, imitating Tony Soprano's voice. 

I laughed, but I felt a bit worried about Armitage.

"You know, Pryde and Armitage don't seem to get along." 

"Good, I would be concerned if Pryde was his best friend, don't you think?"

"Hmm."

"Anyway, I called because ... I wanna tell you that we finally sign the papers for our new house," Rick said happily. 

"Oh my God, congrats!" 

We talked a bit more as I made lunch. Rick told me about his new house, how he would have more room for his plants, and that he and Phillip had started talking about having kids. Honestly, it was good to hear that my friends were happy. It filled my heart. They deserved all the happiness in the world. 

After a while, we hung up. I had a simple lunch and went back to work. I hoped that Armitage would show up later, but he didn't. He didn't come after lunch as promised, which was comprehensible. After all, he just had a surprise visit from his boss. So, I didn't felt bad because of that. However, I couldn't shake myself of the feeling that something was wrong. Although my mind was all over the place, I managed to write a few decent pages and sketched three more illustrations for the book. 

When I looked up to the window, I saw that night had come a bit earlier. The autumn chill was already present, so I decided to make soup for dinner. I went to the kitchen and took out some lentils, spices, vegetable broth, lemon, and a few more ingredients. I started by sautéing the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery over low heat. I could almost hear Lucy, one of my editors, reminding me of the importance of taking my time when I cook. 

She used to work as a cook when she was younger, before diving in the editorial world. Lucy adored talking about cooking, and she had taught me a few tricks. Because of her, I learned that the lower the heat and the longer you take, the more the ingredients will transform to create a glorious flavor base for the soup.

I added the other ingredients, except the lemon, and I let it simmer after I set the kitchen timer. I was about to go to my bedroom and get changed when I heard movement outside. I stopped on my tracks and went to the door. I opened slowly, a tad worry that I would see Enric Pryde at my door again. I could only handle a conversation with him a day. Fortunately, it wasn't him. 

I smiled when I saw Armitage trying not to fall after tripping with a rock. He finally regained his composure and stood still when he saw me. Armitage had a redwood shade blush on his face. He looked like he just had a run, and his eyes were screaming something that I still didn't understand. Swiftly, he walked up to me as he tried to calm his breath. 

"Armitage—"

"Are you—"

We both started talking at the same time. I chuckled, but he still seemed worried. 

"Are you okay? Did Pryde say something to you?"

"I wasn't the best conversation of all times, but nothing I couldn't handle ... Did you run all the way here?" 

The color of his cheeks turned a shade darker.

"Well, yes. I realized I don't have your number, which it's a terrible mistake on my part—"

He stopped talking when I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"Come inside. I'm making dinner." 

He swallowed and complied. We walked to the living room, and Armitage's eyes quickly found the flowers. A sweet smile adorned his face as he discovered the drawing next to them. When he turned to look at me, I was already close enough to kiss him. I felt the surprise on his lips, but he quickly started to kiss me back. My left hand lingered by his waist while my other hand went to cup his face. Armitage smiled as he kissed me, the frown on his face long forgotten. He pulled me closer when he deepened the kiss. Then he gently ran his fingers up and down my arms. There was happiness and tenderness behind that kiss. The tension was slowly leaving his body as I moved from his mouth and gently kissed his neck. Armitage took in a sharp breath. 

My hands went to his chest when the alarm of the kitchen timer went off. Although I didn't want to do it, I moved away from him.

"The lentils ..."

"Yes, the lentils ... wait, what?" he said, confused. 

I chuckled.

"I need to add the spices to the soup."

"Oh, right," Armitage said as he cleared his throat. 

I gave him a quick kiss before going to the kitchen. I rapidly added salt, pepper, and a bit of cumin. 

"It's smell delicious," he said. "You know what would go awesome with that: soda bread."

He rolled up his sleeves and smiled.

"Are you still up to some cooking lessons?"

"Always." 

He smiled at my answer. 

"Well, we need eggs, flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, salt, and buttermilk."

"Oh, we don't have buttermilk."

"Don't worry ... We can use milk and white vinegar."

We started making the bread. Armitage began by whisking the wet ingredients. He told me to whisk the dry ingredients and then add the butter, like if I was making scones or pie crust. One thing was clear to me: Armitage was a good teacher. 

"I needed this," he said. 

"Pryde doesn't look like the best company."

"He isn't," Armitage said with a chuckle. 

"I don't want to pry, but is everything okay?"

Armitage stopped what he was doing for a moment. 

"Chairman Snoke is dying, and he doesn't have an heir. Pryde wants his position in the Board of Directors, and he's making sure no one is going to mess up his plans. At least, he is a better option than Ren."

"But you still don't like him."

"No, he reminds me too much of my father and how much of a disappointment I was to him," he said quietly and frankly. 

"Well, they're both wrong."

Armitage was tense again. At times like this, words aren't enough. So, right away, I stopped what I was doing and went to his side. I hugged him from the back and heard him sigh.

"Hmm."

"What is it?"

"It feels good ... to have someone on your side for once." 

I smiled as I rested my forehead on his back, and we stayed like that for a moment. 

"Come, let's mix the ingredients."

We continued making dinner and talking about lighter themes. When the soup and the bread were ready, we went to the table. Armitage looked at me expectantly when I took a piece of bread. The crust was crispy and gold. I put it in my mouth, and it tasted fantastic.

"It's good, like really good."

He smiled proudly.

"Next time we go grocery shopping, we need to buy buttermilk ... and potatoes. I think you would like Boxty."

"Boxty?"

"Potatoes cakes. They are glorious," Armitage said with a boyish smile. "By the way, this soup is fantastic. Care to share the secret?"

"A bit of zest and spritz of lemon." 

"I wouldn't have thought it."

I smiled, and we kept talking. Armitage didn't mention Pryde or his father again, and I didn't want to bring them up once more. He was finally at peace, and I didn't want to take that away from him. At the end of the dinner, Armitage helped me washed the dishes and kissed me when I was putting the plates in the cabinets. He was about to say something when he saw the clock, and his smile fell slightly. 

"I didn't think it was this late ... I don't want to go." 

"You have work to do?"

"Unfortunately." 

"Well, we can still talk tomorrow."

"I don't think I can come over tomorrow. With Snoke's situation, there is a lot of work to do. Nobody else is going to do it."

"At least, don't forget to take a break." 

He gave me a soft look, and he kissed me on my forehead. Then, he took out his phone. 

"Please, your number. Although I would take any excuse to come here, I would like to hear your voice when I'm away." 

I felt myself blush as I save my number on his phone. I gave him mine, and he quickly typed his number too. We walked to the front door, and Armitage gave one last glance at the living room. 

"That drawing is beautiful ... You are an amazing artist."

"Thank you."

My cheeks were warm. Then I had an idea. 

"Would you like to have it?" 

"Really?" 

I nodded. 

"It would be an honor."

I went to the coffee table and took the page the drawing was on. Then, I quickly went back to where Armitage was standing. I gave him the page, and he smiled radiantly. 

"Thank you ... You know, I had always believed that art is personal, that it holds a piece of the artist in it," he said as he looked at me tenderly. "I will treasure this." 

He gave one last kiss before saying goodbye.

_ Yes, it feels good to have someone on your side. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your support! It truly warms my heart to see that you are enjoying this story.


	9. Candy Apple

One day turned into three. Armitage had been working non-stop. I'd missed having him around; however, he kept his word. Every single day, we'd talked a least a bit. It wasn't the same, but those little moments made me happy. On the third day, I woke up to a "good morning" text from Armitage and a cute photo of Millicent sleeping on a pillow. I chuckled at the image and couldn't help myself to wish they were there with me. 

Being a writer, you get used to being alone. However, I liked having him around. We could be just working in silence, but be happy to be in each other's presence. It was a weird thing, yet I wouldn't change it at all.

I send him a photo of my coffee, telling him that it tasted way better than the other brand. Armitage quickly texted back me again, saying that he was glad I wasn't drinking more of that muddy water and that he would start working on one more report. I wished him good luck and put my phone aside while I finished my cereal. The birds were chirping outside the window, and the wind was playing with the leaves. It was a lovely morning, just like the other days. 

After breakfast, I wrote four more pages. I even rewrote a few paragraphs before taking a bath, and, in an instant, the morning was over. I was getting closer to the end of the story too. However, before moving on to the next chapter, I wanted to finish the illustrations. For that, I had to find the right colors.

I needed inspiration, and there was no better place for that than the forest. So I went to my bedroom and started looking for what to wear. Although I loved wearing skirts and dresses, I knew better than going to the woods in a flowy summer dress. I took an old pair of dark jeans and a baggy deep green sweater, and I got dressed swiftly. The autumn winds were here to stay, and I didn't want to catch a cold. 

A song by Florence + The Machine was playing as I made a simple sandwich for my late lunch. Then I grabbed a small backpack I had in my bedroom and filled it with a bottle of water, my lunch, and my art supplies. I put on my old sneakers and got ready to go outside. I checked my phone one last time after I closed the door, but there weren't any new messages. 

The winds hit me as soon as I placed a foot outside. Yet, it only motivated me to go into the woods. The winds were the voice of a siren, and I didn't cover my ears. So, I walked. 

The trees welcomed me like an old friend, and the moss smelled like an adventure. I allowed myself to act like a kid once more: I touched the tree trunks and picked up the shiny rocks I found. In movies and books, most of the time, writers portrayed the woods as a weird liminal place, a dangerous site. Yet, for me, they'd always been like a siren song, calling me home. I couldn't count the times I'd played in the woods when I was a child, running around acting as a hobbit that was trying to escape an army of orcs. 

I didn't know how many minutes had passed, but I had a clear idea of where I was. No matter how much I loved being surrounded by a sea of trees, I was no fool: getting lost could be quiet simple. So, I made sure to pay attention to where I was and where I was going. 

"It's beautiful," I muttered without being able to hold my thoughts. 

In front of me was a gorgeous clearing. There was an old trunk of a fallen tree cover with moss right in the middle. That was the perfect place for me. So I walked a few more steps and sat down. 

It was just me, the forest, and the colors. 

I let my surroundings inspired me before choosing the right colors. I nibbled my sandwich as I painted the background of my first illustration. I'd spent so much time in the city that I'd forgotten what it felt to have moments like that one. It felt natural to be there painting, to the degree that I didn't pay much attention to the pass of the time. There was only one problem: I couldn't find the right shade of red for the fur of my protagonist. Instead of getting frustrated, I started working on the next illustration. Because, in the end, I would rather deal with that later on. 

I was so engrossed in my work that I didn't saw the color of the sky. I had already finished my sandwich when the first drops of rain fell. I didn't wait for it to get worse, and I rapidly gathered my stuff, making sure I didn't leave anything behind. After that, I began my way back to the cottage. 

I walked the same path and saw the same branches and leaves, yet everything looked different under the rain. I took my backpack and hid it under my sweater, trying to protect it from the water. As the rain was getting worse, I walked faster. My chest rose and fell with rapid breaths as I started running. I needed to go back quickly, or I would end up soaked. 

There are two clear rules when you explore the woods: first, watch your surroundings, and, second, watch your step.

I broke both of them.

What it looked like a squirrel ran in front of me and startled me. I lost my balance, and my foot got trapped in the root of a tree. I fell with a loud thud. The cold and wet soil messed up my clothes, and I could feel the mud on my face too. I gasped when I tried to get up. 

"Fuck," I said out loud. 

My hands tightened into fists. My right ankle hurt a lot. I could feel how my warm tears mixed with the cold drops of rain. It was getting darker, and I needed to move fast. The forest was a haven, but it could hide real danger, and I didn't want to try my luck.

I forced myself to get up and to hold a whimper. I'd put myself in that situation, and I needed to get myself out of it. After all, I was alone in the middle of the woods.

"Fuck," I said again. 

It hurt, but it felt stable enough. So, I walked. Thankfully, I wasn't that far from the cottage. That idea carried me through my path. My range of motion wasn't the best, but I managed to keep going. For a moment, the idea of taking out my phone and calling Armitage for help crossed my mind. However, I didn't want to cause any trouble. 

Each step was painful, but I kept moving. What probably was only a few minutes felt like a whole hour. Thankfully, I found the cottage and sighed when I finally opened the door. I dropped my backpack when I sat on the sofa. I took off my shoe and raised the hem of my jeans to see the damage. There was some swelling, and it felt tender. Probably, it would bruise. 

"Crap," I said when I tried to move my ankle a little too fast. 

I placed my foot on the coffee table, remembering that I had to keep it elevated to prevent the swelling from getting worse. Then I grabbed my backpack and took out my sketchbook. I quickly checked if the drawings got ruined, but they were in perfect condition. After doing that, I couldn't help but laugh. Maybe it was for relief or because I felt tired, but I was at peace. 

I rested my head on the sofa and drew in a long breath. I started remembering what to do in that kind of situation, and I silently thanked my college for the mandatory first aid course.

_First things first, I need to get changed._

I didn't want to catch a cold on top of having a sprained ankle. So, slowly and carefully, I got up. I tried not to put my weight on my right ankle. Step by step, I made my way to the bedroom. I only stopped when I saw myself in the mirror. There was a bit of mud on my face. It was nothing too dreadful, but I needed to clean it. I took off my clothes, placed my phone on the nightstand, and put on my bathrobe. I wanted to go to the bathroom to wash my face, but my ankle was already protesting. So, I sat down on my bed, took a few wet wipes, and cleaned off the mud. 

I lay down and sighed. I needed to compress my right ankle with an elastic bandage and put ice on it. However, I felt too tired. I was about to fall asleep when my phone started ringing. I reached out my hand and grabbed it. I answered without looking who was calling.

"Hello?" 

Armitage said my name, and I just smiled. I'd missed him. 

"How are you?" I asked.

"Good. Tired, but good. I've been working on a few reports. Snoke's health is getting worse, so we need to move fast," Armitage said. "What about you? What did you do today?"

"Oh, I worked all day on my book. I wrote—"

I moved my leg a tad too fast, and my ankle protested immediately. 

"Damn it," I couldn't help to mutter. 

"Y/N? Are you okay?"

I took in a deep breath before answering. 

"Yes ... well, not so much. Okay, this is so embarrassing. Today I went to the woods to paint. I lost track of time, and it started raining. I ran, but my foot got trapped in a tree root, and I fell." 

"Are you hurt? Where are you right now?" Armitage asked, panicked. 

"I'm at home, but please don't worry. It's just a sprained ankle. I'm going to rest a moment, and then I'm going to put ice on it."

"Give me fifteen minutes." 

I wasn't able to say anything else because he hung up. I didn't understand what he meant, and I thought that he probably got an important call. I just left my phone on the nightstand and closed my eyes. Thankfully, my body was getting warmer. I put a pillow under my ankle, and it felt a lot better. I was used to fending for myself. After all, that was something you have to learn when you start living on your own. With that last thought, I closed my eyes and began dozing out. 

I didn't know how much time had passed when a sudden movement woke me up. When my eyes got used to the light of the room, I was able to see a ginger tabby cat looking at me. 

"Millicent?" 

"She was worried about you ... and so was I," Armitage said.

I moved a bit to see him. Armitage was there looking at me, clearly concerned. 

"I knocked, but you didn't answer ... And you left the door unlocked. I just wanted to check if—"

"It's okay, Armitage. Thank you, but you didn't have to come over. I didn't want to bother you."

"It's not a bother," Armitage said as he sat on the bed next to me. "You could never be a bother to me ... How are you?"

"It hurts a bit." 

"I'm going to get the first aid kit. You stay there, okay?"

He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and got up. I carefully moved until I was sitting on the bed. I looked at the window, and the moon and rain greeted me. A sudden realization hit me. 

"You didn't walk all this way in the rain, right?" I said loud enough so Armitage could hear me. 

"Oh, no. I drove here," Armitage said, coming to the bedroom once again. "I didn't think Millicent would appreciate getting all soaked."

Armitage had a pack of frozen berries and the first aid kit on his hands. He sat down by the end of the bed, left the things beside him, and tenderly took my ankle in his hands. He did it as he was afraid of hurting me, or as if I could break at any point. 

"You were lucky. There is no much swelling." 

He took an elastic bandage and wrapped it snugly around my ankle, but not too tightly. Armitage did it carefully and with the expertise of someone who had done it several times. There was a soft blush on his face as he touched my skin. Then, he placed my ankle on the pillow and put the bag of frozen berries over it. I was so struck by it that I had to ask. 

"How did you know what to do?"

"Unfortunately, when you had a father like mine, you have to learn."

He said it as a matter of fact, and his smile faded for a second. Immediately, I wanted to cheer him up and make him forget about those horrible memories.

"Come here," I said. 

"What?"

"Millicent is not the only one who likes to cuddle." 

Armitage was blushing hard but conceded. He took off his shoes and moved to get closer. Then, Armitage put his arm around me. Millicent protested at the sudden movement and jumped off the bed. I chuckled and rested my head on his shoulder. 

"Sorry." 

"For what?"

"I didn't want to bring up that kind of memories." 

"It's okay ... Somehow, I feel better when I talked about it with you," he said softly and slowly. "One day I'm going to tell you the full story." 

He pulled me closer and rested his head on mine. Armitage finally sighed, and I could feel him smiling. We stayed like that for a few moments. 

"Thank you for coming."

"It's nothing ... It's what couples do when—"

Armitage sat straight when he realized the implications of his words. 

"I mean, what a person would do when—"

I laughed and turned to look at him. I placed one hand on his cheek and kissed him. It was a sweet, tender kiss. I was so happy that Armitage was there next to me. Right away, he moved a bit to have better access to my lips before breaking up the kiss. He locked his eyes on mine and smiled softly.

"Breakfast for dinner?" he asked.

"Sure," I said as I started to move.

"You need to rest. I won't take long, okay?" 

He kissed me one more time and left the room. As soon as Armitage left, Millicent took his place next to me, demanding—loudly—my attention. The cat jumped into my lap and snuggled closer. 

"I'd missed you too, Millicent." 

I kept petting Millicent, and minutes later, a delicious smell filled the place. Pancakes, Armitage was making pancakes. I smiled, and a warm feeling flooded my heart. I didn't mind if the rain turned into a storm and if the winds were howling like banshees. 

"Miss, it's dinner time," Armitage said from the kitchen. 

The cat jumped off my lap and quickly made its way out of the room. I chuckled and moved a bit to get more comfortable. Moments later, Armitage came to the bedroom, holding two plates and two mugs filled with hot chocolate. He placed the beverages on the nightstand and gave me one plate before sitting next to me. The pancakes looked mouth-watering. I took a bite and smiled widely. 

"Thank you so much, Armitage ... It's delicious."

"I'm happy you like it."

We talked about the reports he was writing as we eat the pancakes and drink our hot chocolate. For what I understood, the First Order was a huge company, and Chairman Snoke was a crucial figure in it. They had to be ready if Pryde had his wishes fulfilled. 

When I was about to finish my dinner, he got quiet. 

"Armitage? Is everything okay?"

He said my name before looking at me intensely. 

"I like you."

"And I like you too, " I said gently. 

"No, what I mean is that I honestly care about you ... When you told me you fell, I-I got scared." 

"Armitage ..."

"Pathetic, no?"

I grabbed his empty plate and mine and put them aside. Then I took his hands. 

"I care about you too ... a lot."

He smiled at my comment.

"You know, I'm used to fending for myself, but ... this feels good. You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you, Armitage." 

When I finished talking, Armitage gently cupped my face with his hands and got closer. His lips were barely brushing mine. He whispered my name before finally kissing me. There was a mix of yearning and gentleness in his moves. His hands moved from my face to my shoulders before pulling away.

"Thank you."

He kissed me briefly again.

"You need to rest," he said. "I'm going to wash the dishes."

"Thank you," I said again.

He gave me one last kiss before getting up and grabbing the dishes. However, Armitage stopped when he was about to leave the room and gave me one last glance, as he feared I would disappear in an instant. Then, he went to the kitchen. Carefully and less graceful that I would be proud to admit, I got up and went to the bathroom. I put on my pajamas and got ready for bed. When I got out, Millicent was already there sleeping comfortably. I lay down and fall asleep almost immediately. 

It was a peaceful slumber; yet, I woke up in the middle of the night. It was dark, but I could see the figure of Millicent sleeping on the bed. However, I didn't find Armitage in the room. I grabbed my phone to see the time; it was past midnight. Then, I slowly turned around and saw a dim light coming from the living room. 

_Is he sleeping on the sofa?_

Unhurried, I stood up and walked to the living room, trying to avoid putting any weight on my right side. Nonetheless, Armitage wasn't in the living room. I found him working at the table, typing furiously at his keyboard.

"Armitage?" I said softly.

He turned around right away.

"Y/N? I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No, but why are you still awake?" 

"I just had to add a few details to the reports. Go back to bed."

"When do you have to submit them?"

"Tomorrow, after lunch." 

"Then you have more than enough time. You need to rest too." 

He turned to see the laptop screen. His fingers were barely touching the keyboard. It was clear to me that Armitage wanted to keep working but also felt tired. 

"I can set the alarm clock," I offered.

He chuckled and, with hesitation, closed his laptop. Armitage stood up and walked up to where I was. He leaned in and kissed me.

"Go to bed. Goodnight, Y/N," he said as he started making his way to the sofa.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To the sofa ... to sleep." 

"Who said anything about the sofa? Come on," I said, offering my hand for him to take.

"Wait ... what?"

"We're going to bed. You don't mind, right?"

Armitage looked at me, dumbfounded. Slowly, a candy apple red shade painted his face and neck. He said no and walked up to me without actually looking at me. However, he eagerly took my hand and walked next to me to the bedroom. Armitage helped me sat down, and then he began getting ready for bed. Right when he started unbuttoning his shirt, Armitage looked at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now come over, it's getting chilly."

He took off his button-up shirt and shoes and kept his undershirt and black jeans. He coyly smiled at me when he got into the bed. I lay down too after setting the alarm clock and shifted a bit to face him. 

"Are you comfortable?" he said, still blushing. 

I moved even closer and rested my head on his chest. 

"Now, I am." 

I felt his body vibrated as he laughed, and I sighed. The storm was raging outside, but it couldn't get inside, not now. 

"I could get used to this," Armitage said.

"You should."

"Really?" he said with so much hope on his voice.

"Yes." 

Armitage gently kissed the top of my head as a response.

"Good night, Armitage."

"Good night, love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we only see a glimpse of Armitage's backstory and ... yeah, Brendol Hux sucks haha
> 
> Anyway, thank you so so much for all your comments, kudos, and hits!   
> You truly are so kind <3


	10. Desire

A strident sound woke me up abruptly. Without properly open my eyes, I turned off the alarm clock, and I went back to sleep. The warmth coming from Armitage's body was so soothing that I didn't want to get out of bed. However, my movements alerted him, and his breathing pattern changed. So I opened my eyes slowly and looked up. Armitage had the gentlest look that I had ever seen on his face. A soft smile adorned it, and his hair was unkempt—so different from how it used to be. 

"Hi," I said. 

"Hi," he said with a raspy voice. "Sorry for waking you up so early."

"It doesn't matter."

"How is your ankle?"

"A lot better," I said honestly. 

He smiled brightly and rested his head back on the pillow. Armitage let out a quiet laugh. He looked at me again and ran his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and leaned on his hand. Armitage carefully moved on the bed to get closer to me. He kissed me softly on the forehead, and I opened my eyes. He was looking at me with an emotion that I forgot how to describe. 

Armitage, then, kissed me on the cheek and began to trail featherlight kisses down my neck. I moved my head, giving him better access, and I felt him smile. I closed my eyes one more time, trying to memorize every single one of his touches. I took in a sharp breath when Armitage found the right place at the base of my neck. He stopped too soon for my taste, and his eyes found mine. A soft red shade painted his cheeks as I placed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. 

"Hi," I said again.

"Hi," he answered once more. 

We both smiled sheepishly. Armitage leaned in a second time, and his lips lingered close to the skin of my neck. As soon as he started kissing me, we heard a loud meow. 

"Five more minutes, Millicent," he said, refusing to move away from me. 

However, Millicent didn't appreciate that comment and meowed even louder. We both turned around and found Millicent watching us from the nightstand with a very judgmental look on her face. The cat meowed once more before jumping into the bed. I just laughed, and Armitage chuckled, not ready to get up. 

"You were right, Millicent is quite impatient in the mornings."

"Hmn." 

I softly ran my fingers through his hair. He drew in a long breath and finally moved. 

"Don't give that look, Miss." 

"What look?" I said, feigning innocence.

"That one."

I chuckled, but I couldn't say anything else because Millicent started meowing once more. Armitage sighed. 

"Fine. Breakfast is going to be ready soon." 

Millicent jumped off the bed and walked quickly to the door. She gave Armitage one last glance and went—probably—to the kitchen. I laughed again. Armitage sat and began putting on his shoes. I turned and made my way up to him on the bed. I hugged him from behind and kissed him gently on the cheek. 

"I'm going to make Millicent's breakfast, and then I have to go quickly to my cottage. I won't take too long."

I started kissing the back of his neck as a response. 

"Breakfast will be ready when you come back," I said between kisses. 

"You shouldn't be on your feet for too long," he said. "I can make breakfast when I'm back." 

"No, you cooked last night. Now, it's my turn." 

I moved away, and he stood up. Armitage looked back and smiled. 

"The key is on the counter," I said.

He gave me one last kiss on the forehead and went to the kitchen. I lay down for a moment; then I got up and went to the bathroom. I took a quick bath and didn't hear when Armitage left. Thankfully, the day wasn't as cold as I expected, so I put on a cobalt blue skirt and a black shirt. 

When I got out of the room, Millicent was sleeping comfortably on the sofa. I smiled and made my way to the kitchen. Fortunately, my right ankle felt a lot better. It still hurt a bit; however, my range of motion had improved a lot. 

I took some vegetables out of the fridge and started chopping them. Then I continued making the omelets. I was about to finish pouring the hot water for my coffee when the sound of the door opening alerted me. I turned and saw Armitage coming in. He was wearing dark jeans and a light blue dress shirt. His wet hair was a shade darker, and he looked happy. His gaze fixed on me, and Armitage made his way to the kitchen.

"The food is almost ready."

"Thank you," he said as he kissed me on the cheek. "It's smell delicious." 

"I hope it tastes even better. Here," I said while giving Armitage his black tea.

"And black tea? I don't deserve you," he said jokingly. 

Armitage smiled even more at the sight of his favorite mug.

"Hey, don't say that. You deserve this and more."

He looked down sheepishly. I gently lifted his chin and kissed him. Armitage gave me a soft smile and then helped me set the table. He took a bite of his breakfast and smiled broadly. We talked for a moment about other recipes, and Armitage promised that he would teach me how to make Boxty soon. When we finished eating, Armitage swiftly took the dishes and prepared to wash them. However, I stopped him. 

"You have work to do. I will do it."

"Your ankle ..." 

"It's not hurting that much." 

"You're hurting a bit, and that's enough for me ... At least let's do it together."

It was clear he wouldn't change his mind. So, I complied, and we quickly finished. After that, Armitage took his laptop, went to the table, and started working on the last details of the reports. I went to the sofa and sat next to Millicent. The cat slightly moved when I grabbed my art supplies. I watched my first illustration for a moment. Everything was ready except for the color of the cat. I sighed and turned around. 

Armitage was frowning again as he put all of his attention on whatever he was writing. The light of the morning sun sneaked through the window and found refuge in his figure. My eyes followed his calculated moves; however, my gaze fixed on his hair, and suddenly everything clicked. 

"A lady is staring again," he said, holding his smirk. 

"Your hair," I answered. 

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, it just that ... it changes."

"Changes?" Armitage said, clearly confused. 

"I couldn't pinpoint the right shade at the beginning, but it's because it changes a lot with the light. Sometimes it's ginger or a pale strawberry blond; other times is more copper or a deep auburn-brown with a tint of red. And a few times, it just has a light orange shade. I—"

I stopped, and embarrassment creeped out my skin. I felt my face getting warmer, and I looked down. 

"Thank you."

I looked up and found Armitage watching me. There was a soft pink tint on his cheeks. 

"For what? For babbling about colors and shades?" I said with a chuckle, trying to minimize my embarrassment. 

"For seeing me ... For seeing more in me."

I got a feeling we were no longer talking about something as simple hair color. I gave Armitage a small smile.

"You are a good man, Armitage Hux." 

The blush on his face spread more, but he didn't look down when he said something that made my heart jump.

"And you have a beautiful soul." 

We both smile in silence for a moment, and a warm feeling expanded in my chest. Armitage finally broke the spell and cleared his throat. 

"I should go back to work," he said, but he looked like he didn't want to do it. 

"Okay." 

I turned and fixed my eyes on the illustration. I took the crayons and started working on the last details of it. In the first drawing, the cat was angry and alone; so, I decided to paint it with a deep auburn-brown color but leaving just a hint of bright red in its fur. When I finished with the first illustration, I immediately started with the next one. Colors and shades turned into feelings as I paint the differents scenes form my story. 

Minutes passed in comfortable silence. I could hear how Armitage was typing on the keyboard and the gentle snores of Millicent. There was no hurry. If I hadn't been working on the illustrations for my book, I would have tried to draw that scene. What I was living wasn't a mirage, but rather a new memory that I would love to relive over and over again. I thought that, when I had to go back home, I wanted that too. I even could picture my apartment filled with Armitage laughs and Millicent meows. 

I smiled, filled with hope. 

I looked up and saw the screen of my phone; it was way past lunchtime. I left my things on the coffee table next to the sunflowers. Then I stretched my arms before standing up. I walked to the kitchen, but I stopped by the table to give Armitage a quick kiss on his cheek. He turned and smiled at me. 

"Where are you going?" 

"To the kitchen. It's past lunchtime." 

"Give me twenty minutes. I need to read one last report one more time." 

"Don't worry."

"But—"

"I don't mind making lunch, Armitage. You can help me with the dishes later."

"At least, let me make dinner today. You have done more than enough for me." 

"Sure." 

I leaned in to kiss Armitage. It was supposed to be a quick and gentle kiss. However, he surprised me when he cupped my face and deepened the kiss. I didn't complain and opened my mouth. It was an awkward angle, yet I responded with the same energy. Without really wanting, I moved away and rested my forehead on his. Armitage still had his eyes closed, and his chest was moving up and down swiftly. 

"I don't wanna read that report again," he said with a small chuckled. 

"You're almost done," I said. "And ..."

"And?" he said, opening his eyes.

"We can continue this after lunch," I said.

The red color of his hair traveled down to his face and neck. I laughed at his reaction and gave him one last kiss before making my way to the kitchen. 

"You, my lady, are such a tease."

"I'm not a tease if I keep my promise." 

I heard Armitage coughing as I started looking for the pasta in the cabinets. I smiled, amused. I took out dried linguine, tomato passata, capers, and a lemon. Subsequently, I began with cooking the linguine in a pot of boiling salted water. Then I drizzled a lug of oil into a pan and added the other ingredients, including half of the lemon zest. I let it simmer before seasoning the sauce. 

I was so focused on the task that I didn't hear when Armitage came to the kitchen. His hands made its way to my waist, and his chin rested on my shoulder.

"Pasta?"

"Tomato and caper linguine."

"Perfect. What do I do?"

"Drain the linguine, please."

Armitage gave me a swift kiss on the shoulder and moved away. With his help, I finished cooking quite quickly. After a few minutes, the food was ready, and we moved to the table. We started eating and talking about books. However, he suddenly said my name, and I found hope in his eyes. Armitage said my name one more time. 

"When we go back to our everyday lives," Armitage said, "I would like to keep doing this."

"I would like that too," I said after a short beat. 

I smiled when he took my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. We continued talking about our lives and found out that we lived in the same city. Fate had a sense of humor, or it was just that the concrete jungle was excessively big and loud. Yet, I didn't mind at that moment; I was too happy to care. Armitage looked delighted as well and mentioned the places he would like to visit with me. We brought out to the conversation the names of museums, gardens, and theaters we would go to, and the future seemed promising and filled with wonder.

As promised, Armitage washed the dishes. I went to the living room and sat down. After a few minutes, he joined me on the sofa. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer. I rested my head on his shoulder when Armitage started playing with my hair. I sighed, and he let out a soft laugh.

"Who would have thought I would be lucky enough to end up like this?"

"I have told you," I said, moving enough to face him. "You deserve this and more."

"I guess ... sometimes I need help to remember that." 

"So, I'm gonna be there to help you remember."

I smiled and traced his face with my fingers. He took my hand and gently kissed my palm. There it was again. His eyes held a strange feeling that I couldn't describe. Nonetheless, I didn't have much time to ponder about it because he leaned in and kissed me, first on the forehead, second on the cheek, and finally on the lips. His kiss was like a simple love song, like the ones you listen to on the radio while driving and that never leave your mind. I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck. He moved from my mouth and made his way down my neck. Armitage guided me carefully onto the sofa to lay on my back but didn't stop kissing me.

My breaths quickened, and I gasped when he found the perfect spot close to my collar bone. Armitage smiled as he kept kissing me. My hands went to his hair, and he made a sound that made my face burn. However, he suddenly stopped.

"Armitage?" I said as I opened my eyes.

His eyes weren't on my, but rather on someone else. Following his gaze, I turned. Millicent was sitting on the coffee table with a very unamused look on her face. 

"Millicent, please go," Armitage said. 

Instead of doing that, Millicent jumped on top of Armitage. I must have seen it coming, but it still made me laugh out loud. He just sighed and hid his face on my neck. He chuckled, defeated. However, to be honest, I didn't want to stop. So, I kissed the top of his head, demanding his attention. He complied and looked up.

"Bedroom?" I asked. 

"Only if you want to."

"Yes."

He gulped and nodded. Cautiously, he moved, and Millicent jumped to the sofa. Armitage helped me get up and held my hand as we walked to the bedroom. However, when we were at the doorstep, he kissed me, let go of my hand, and went to the living room. Armitage quickly gave a few treats to Millicent and made his way back to where I was standing.

"That will keep her busy." 

I chuckled, and we closed the door as soon as we walked in. We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before I got closer to Armitage. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he placed his hands on my waist. I kissed him, hesitant at first, but I lost myself when he kissed me back. My hands moved to his chest, and, before I started unbuttoning his shirt, I broke off the kiss.

"Is this okay?" I asked.

He gently nodded. Armitage's face had a soft red tint that made me returned his smile. He took my hands and kissed them before placing them again on his chest.

"Yes," he said with a hoarse voice.

He helped me undo the buttons of his shirt, and, when we finished, he pulled it over his shoulders. I kissed him one more time before taking off my shoes and walk to the bed. He took off his shoes and belt and followed me soon after. Our lips met quickly, and I smiled while I helped him shrug off his undershirt. My hands finally touched his skin, gently drawing abstract figures on his back and exploring his body. His hands, instead, just moved a bit and lingered, afraid of doing something that would upset me. I took his hands and placed them where I wanted to be touched. 

"It's okay ... I want you," I murmured in his ear. 

He groaned lowly as I sighed. That was enough incentive, and he started exploring my body, trying to find the spots that would make me gasp. The warmth between us was making the air in the room seem thick, but that didn't matter when Armitage helped me take off my skirt. My hands moved quickly to his waistline, and I helped him rid himself of his jeans. 

Armitage kissed me one more time. Then he helped me as I lay down on the bed, being extremely careful not to hurt my ankle. He slowly climbed on top of me, and the weight of his body on mine made me closed my eyes and sighed. His hands find my black shirt and gently pulled it over my head. I heard him chuckled, and I opened my eyes.

"Sunflowers," he said.

I didn't understand, and I looked down. 

_Oh, come on!_

I'd forgotten I was wearing the sunflowers print bra. I was laughing, yet my laugh turned into a moan when Armitage's hands started touching me.

"May I?" he asked.

"Please," I answered. 

He started kissing my shoulder as his hands unhooked my bra. Armitage took it off and moved it away. He kept kissing me with such tenderness and yearning that his name escaped from my lips when he found my breasts. I loved every second and touch, and it was clear that Armitage felt the same when his hips started moving against mine seeking friction. Yet he stopped and looked at me.

"I don't have condoms," he said and frowned. 

He started moving away from me.

"Give me half hour. I can drive to the—"

I pulled him in and kissed him on the lips. Armitage slowly returned my kiss.

"Love ..."

"There are condoms in the nightstand," I said. "I bought them when we went to the store."

He looked at me with a smirk and chuckled. Without any more hesitation, Armitage kissed me once more. My body responded to his, and for a moment, we were only two humans getting to know each other. I found that he liked it when I kiss his neck and that he would groan every time my fingers moved down his back. In exchange, he discovered how I loved when he kissed my breasts or played with my hair. 

His hands found the top of my panties and lowered them. Right away, Armitage touched me with attention, noticing how my breathing pattern changed with his movements. However, he didn't leave the rest of my body unattended. No, he kissed and touched, and it was too much, but at the same time, I wanted more.

"Armitage ..."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes ... you?"

"Definitely."

Armitage smiled. Immediately, he opened the drawer and took a condom. He pulled down his boxer briefs and tried to open the package. I sat, kissed him, and took it off his hands. Carefully, I tore along the corner of it and took the condom out. My hands moved down his body, and I felt Armitage stiffen with anticipation and desire. When my hands touched him, he couldn't help to let out a moan. Although I wanted to continue exploring his body, I paid all the attention of the world to my actions.

After that, I gave him a quick kiss before I lay down. He positioned between my legs, and I opened them even more. Armitage nervously licked his lips and fixed his eyes on me. He got closer to me. 

We were nervous, and I chuckled. 

"Hi," I said. 

"Hi," he said.

Armitage leaned in and kissed me. It was slow and calm. There was tenderness and desire in every movement, but he was patient. Armitage said my name softly before he finally pushed into me. Our moans got lost in a kiss.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a raspy voice.

There it was again, that look. However, I finally understood what it meant: adoration. Warmth filled my heart, and I started kissing Armitage. I moved a bit and gently nibbled his ear.

"Move," I whispered.

He chuckled.

"As you wish."

His pace was slow at the beginning, but as soon as my lips found the right place on the base of his neck, it got faster. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. We didn't give a damn, and let our voices filled the room. I sighed when he moved his hand down and started touching me again. 

I was lost, but not in the middle of the woods. I got lost in his touch, his attention, and his tenderness and yearning. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he began chanting my name, almost like a secret prayer I was not supposed to hear. I looked up at him, and our eyes meet. There was no doubt: his gaze hid pure and undeniable adoration. Everything was too much. So I let myself go with a soft cry. He gasped and drew in a harsh breath but kept moving. 

I ran my fingers down his back and whispered his name. His pace was more urgent, and he pressed his body to mine. I kissed him once more, and his body spasmed when he found his release. Armitage collapsed, yet, he was still careful not to put all his weight on me. Our gazes met, and we smiled. We even let out a soft laugh.

"Hi," he said. 

"Hi," I said.

He rested his head on my chest as we came down from our high. Armitage kissed me gently before he slipped out of me. He was extra careful when he removed the condom. Then he stood up and went to the bathroom. 

Armitage came back soon after and lay next to me on the bed. I turned to face him, and his fingers traced my body. 

"See, I kept my promise."

His chest moved as he laughed heartfeltly. Seconds later, Armitage pulled me closer and held my hand. For a while, we stayed there in comfortable silence. Armitage looked like he needed to say something. However, he waited for a beat and gulped.

"I want to be with you ..." 

I looked at him, a bit confused. 

"It may seem a bit old-fashioned, and this wasn't the way I wanted to ask you, but ... I think I will lose the courage to do it if I don't do it now."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I would like to be your boyfriend ... if you have me."

"Armitage ..." 

He was nervous, but there was so much hope in his eyes. So I gave him a kiss that held a promise.

"Yes."

I felt him smiled as he returned my kiss. There was still warmth between us, but that warmth was pure joy expressed in kisses and touches. A soft meow interrupted us yet again, and that time, we both laughed out loud.

"Mom and dad are a bit bussy, Millicent," Armitage said.

"Mom?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we kind of come as a package deal, you see." 

I laughed carefreely.

"I wouldn't want it in any other way."

Armitage leaned in to kiss me again, but Millicent meowed once more. 

"Go, she probably wants an early dinner."

He sighed and got up. Armitage put on his boxer briefs and his undershirt. His body looked relaxed, and his smile never left his face.

"What do you want for dinner?" 

"Pancakes again?" 

He smiled and nodded. Then Armitage opened the door and found that Millicent was already waiting for him in the kitchen. After he left, I went to the bathroom quickly. Afterward, I put on my underwear, shorts, and my bathrobe, not caring about wearing anything else. When Armitage saw me again, he blushed profusely, as he hadn't just watched me naked a few minutes ago.

I helped him making dinner and the rest of the day was a mixture of kisses, smiles, and innocent touches. Armitage said that, for the sake of my ankle, I needed to "actually" rest. So we went to bed early. This time, he guided me to the room, and he didn't think twice when he got under the sheets. Armitage held me through the night, as he was afraid that I would vanish. I didn't mind it; in fact, I liked it. It made me feel seen, cared, and safe. And if I was honest, that was one of my best nights of sleep ever. 

The next morning I woke up when I felt him shift under the sheets. 

"Go back to sleep, love," he said. "I'm going to make breakfast."

He left the room minutes later, and I could hear him move around the kitchen. I closed my eyes again and tried to continue sleeping; however, the sudden ringing of his phone prevented me from doing so. Armitage started taking, but I didn't hear what he was saying. There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of something breaking filled the place. Worried, I got out of the bed. I walked barefoot to the kitchen, and the call ended when I arrived. 

The sunflower mug was on the floor, broken. 

"Pryde just called," he said. 

Armitage didn't look at me.

"Snoke is dead ... and Kylo Ren is his heir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much as always! <3 Your comments, kudos, and hits always make me smile. <3


	11. Merlot

"Snoke is dead ... and Kylo Ren is his heir."

His words echoed in the room. However, I paid more attention to his body language than to what he just said. Armitage's shoulders were tense, and his hands were shaking slightly. I wanted to hug and comfort him, yet I didn't move. I didn't know if my advances would be well received; after all, he hadn't raised his head to look at me.

"Pryde is furious," he said after a short silence. 

"It's not your fault." 

He chuckled sarcastically. 

"This is the worst-case scenario ... Kylo Ren is smart and hardworking; however, he is ... just a brat with power that can lash out at any minute. I have worked so hard for the First Order, and I'm going to see it collapse under Kylo Ren's rule," he said, raising his voice with every word. "I'm yet to prove that I am—"

He stopped talking and sat down. I remembered how Philip used to make me a chamomile tea when I was upset, so I started making one. Armitage didn't say anything else. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, I placed the tea in front of him and sat on the other chair. I kept pondering what to say. People believe writers always know what to say, that they can magically find the right words to utter. Nonetheless, I know how hard it is to do it. So, I just tried.

"Armitage, I have seen you work so hard, so damn hard, but you have to know that this is not your fault. That was Snoke decision ..."

Armitage slowly reached out his hand to hold mine.

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone, not to Pryde, nor Kylo Ren, nor your father." 

His hand left mine immediately as if he had touched fire. 

_ Okay, that was the wrong thing to say. _

Armitage finally looked at me, but I didn't like what I saw. Right there, in the same place I had seen him smile and laugh, was the man from the articles and interviews. His eyes had no sparkle in them. In front of me was someone I didn't know. 

"You don't know what you're talking about ... You know nothing about my father," he said coldly.

"Armitage—"

He stood up. 

"Armitage ... please listen to me. What I meant was that I'm sure the First Order is going to be okay," I started saying slowly. "It's going to take a while to get used to the new changes in the Administration, but sometimes you cannot—"

"You don't know anything about the First Order. You know nothing about running a company. You're just a writer, after all," he said with a voice that reminded me of Pryde's.

He finished the sentence, and I silently took offense. The ice of his words was lowering the temperature of the room. I kept saying to myself that it was just the anger talking, that the Armitage I knew didn't think like that. Yet, the implication of what he said was clear. 

"I had to have been there. I should have accepted Pryde's proposal, but no. I thought that been here in the middle of nowhere was more important," he said with a low chuckle. "I know I could have convinced Snoke. I should have taken that flight with Pryde. They needed me, and I-I failed ... I need to go back. This whole trip was a waste of time."

I knew he was upset, but that didn't make his words hurt any less. I closed my mouth and got up. Our eyes met and saw how his mask cracked in a second. There he was again, the Armitage I knew. However, his words weighed heavy on my heart. He took a step forward, but I took one back. He said my name slowly.

"I didn't mean—"

"No, I think I know what you meant." 

Armitage was angry when he said those things, but I had the right to be upset too. He lashed out at me, and I didn't deserve that. Honestly, I was hurt, but I didn't want things to escalate any further. So, I pondered on what to do. Armitage said my name once more, making me placed my attention back at him.

"Please, listen, I—"

"Look, we're both upset. I don't want to talk about this right now, please. I'm going back to the bedroom."

Armitage gulped, and there was panic in his eyes. There was guilt, yes, but it was mostly panic. I hurt me that I didn't see a once of hope in his eyes, like if he just had lost everything. However, I didn't want to talk anymore at the moment. I had tried to help, and, somehow, I ended up making things more complicated. I walked away, and Armitage stayed there, glued to the floor. 

I drew in a long breath as I closed the door of the bedroom behind me. Millicent wasn't there to cuddle, and on the floor was some of the evidence of what happened yesterday. That only made my heart ache more, to the point that I felt how the warm tears found their freedom and ran down my face. I let out a sob, but I immediately forced me to stop. I didn't want him to hear me cry. Yet, Armitage's words kept replaying in my mind as I picked up the clothes on the floor. 

_ He doesn't believe that. Armitage wouldn't say that he wanted a relationship if he thought that. He is just angry, isn't he?  _

_ He didn't mean it, right?  _

I tried to convince myself, yet I didn't make me feel any better. I left the clothes on the bed, went to the bathroom, and draw a bath. Slowly, I took off my clothes and got inside the tub. I rested my head and allowed the tears to fall. I wasn't going to start making out excuses for his behavior, but that didn't mean that I didn't care for him anymore. I only needed some time out. So, I cried and stayed there.

The water was cold when I got out. I gently wrapped a towel around me and went to the bedroom. As I put on an old gray dress, I saw every detail in the room. Our clothes were still on the bed, and the door remained closed. At least, Armitage had respected my wishes. I had stopped crying, yet I was hurt. The simple idea that Armitage saw this time together as a waste of time made me feel as if everything I lived with him was somehow a lie. Although that idea made me sick, I was ready to face Armitage again. Honestly, I needed to see him and talk to him once more. 

When I opened the door, the cottage was quiet, too quiet. I walked to the kitchen, but Armitage wasn't there. The broken pieces of the sunflower mug were no longer on the floor, but they weren't on the trash neither. The chamomile tea I made for Armitage was still on the table, cold and undrunk. My heart began to fill with worry as I walked to the living room, just to found out that he wasn't there. 

"Armitage?" I said loud enough.

However, I received no answer.

"Armitage? Are you here?" I asked again, more worried. "Millicent?"

The silence was my only answer. I started looking for Armitage and Millicent everywhere, but they weren't in any room. I neither found his suitcase nor laptop. They only evidence of Armitage's presence in the cottage was the clothes on the bedroom and the cold chamomile tea. 

He had left.

I sat down on the sofa and stared at the window, dumbfounded. I had asked for a break because I didn't want to escalate the fight. After all, what Armitage said had hurt my feelings; I was still hurting. 

_ Maybe Armitage only needs a time out too, and he went out for a walk.  _

However, as minutes passed, I realized that he wasn't coming back any time soon. The bright day turned gray as my dress and promptly started raining. I hadn't had eaten anything when lunchtime arrived. I quickly made a simple sandwich and ate in silence. After that, I checked out my phone, but I hadn't received any new messages, nor calls from Armitage. I didn't text him either, mostly because I wasn't sure if he was ready to talk to me, or maybe because I was afraid to know the truth. 

I needed a distraction. Therefore, I forced myself to work on my book. I kept writing until it was dinner time. It was still raining, and Armitage hadn't call nor text me yet. The idea of texting him was tempting, but I didn't want to bother him. I tried to reassure myself, telling me that he only needed time, that he would be here tomorrow, that we would move past this. After all, it hadn't been a huge fight. It had hurt a lot, yes, but I still wanted him in my life. I ate another sandwich and drank some tea before going early to bed. I would talk with him soon. Yes, tomorrow was going to be a better day, at least that was what I hoped. 

However, hope is a fool's gold. Armitage wasn't there the next morning. So I made out my mind. By the time I finished my lunch, I knew I had to do something about it. It was a chilly day, so I put on my old cardigan, took my phone, and went outside. I was walking so fast that I almost tripped with a big rock that was on the doormat. I stopped for a second, finding that situation weird. I picked it up. It had a mushy white substance under it, almost like soaked paper, and, when I paid more attention to the mat, I saw that the same wet material was on it too. However, that wasn't the time to act like a girl scout and try to discover what it was. So I threw away the rock and started walking down the path. 

The trees had more reds and oranges that morning. Fall was already here, but I buried deep down that childish excitement I had for the season that day. I didn't care for the squirrels running up and down the trees, nor for the birds singing a happy and silly love song. I had a mission. I was not going to let things get out of proportion. I was going to talk with Armitage and move past this. 

My feet moved faster but came to a sudden stop when I didn't see his car parked outside the cottage. That was weird, but I didn't mind. I walked to his door and knocked, but no one answered. 

"Armitage?" 

I knocked again, but I couldn't hear a single sound coming from inside the cottage. I walked to the window, and my heart sunk. From where I was standing, I could see the living room. I knew that his cottage looked almost inhabited, but there were still signs of life. Millicent used to rest on the sofa, and you could hear Armitage moving around. Yet, that day, the cottage looked ready for the next guest. I quickly pondered my options and walked back to the front door. I moved the welcome mat and found the key. Quickly, I took it and opened the door. Pushing aside the idea of how illegal was what I was doing, I got inside.

"Armitage, are you here?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "Millicent?"

The cottage was pristine. Not a single thing was out of place. I walked to the kitchen and found no signs of someone living there. However, I only lost all hope when I went to the bedroom. The closet was empty, and the bed looked like the one from a clean hotel room. It was clear. Armitage had left, without a word, a text, or even a goodbye. 

The minute I walked out of that cottage and put the key back in its right place, I arrived at three irrefutable and terrible conclusions. First, I had fallen for Armitage Hux. I had slowly let him made a room in my life, thinking it could last forever. Second, he had left. So, he probably didn't feel the same. Third, our lives would continue, but not together. 

I played with my phone as I walked back home, but the idea of calling or texting him didn't cross my mind. I just wanted to get home, so I ran. When I finally arrived, I closed the door and leaned on it. Silent tears stained my face as two words repeated over and over again in my mind: 'he left.' 

I felt wasted as I walked to the bedroom. I need to lay down, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. If I pretended that nothing ever went wrong, maybe, just maybe, I would be able to close my eyes. Yet, when I was on my bed, I realized I couldn't pretend. 

The day went by, so as the next one. I texted my friends, but I didn't mention anything about Armitage and avoided their questions when they brought him up in the conversation. Those days and the ones after I did what I used to do when I went through a hard time: work. I wrote and drew every single day as if there was no tomorrow. I stopped for food, sleep, and bathroom breaks; otherwise, I was working on my book. It was the only way to escape my mind and reality. After all, Armitage hadn't called yet, and I wasn't going to text or call him neither. No, I wasn't going to do it after he made his point so clear.

That routine worked until I finished the book. Then I was alone with an empty cottage and too much time to think. I sent the finished manuscript and illustrations to Phillip, and I informed him that I would be going home sooner than expected. He called almost immediately, yet I didn't answer. I spent the rest of that day cleaning the cottage. 

It took me two days, but the place was clean. My suitcase was already in the trunk of the car as I checked the cottage one last time to make sure that I didn't forget to pack something. I also checked if the lights were off and if everything was in the right place. After a few minutes, I walked to the front door and turned around to give one last glance to the cottage. 

Everything looked just like the day I arrived, except for the sunflowers that were still on the coffee table. The plant looked as if it was smiling, unaware of everything that had happened in the last few days. I should have left it, but it didn't feel right. I should have left it, but I didn't have the heart to let it wither. I should have left it, but maybe I wasn't ready to let go of what I lived with Armitage. So, I placed the potted plant on the passenger seat and secured it with the seatbelt. After that, I made my way to the airport. I drove, leaving behind a sea of red made of leaves that reminded me too much of him.

I must have looked funny, holding a plant and my suitcase, and I was surprised that they let me transport a plant as a carry-on item. Yet, I didn't question my luck. My mind had a clear goal: go home. When the airplane finally landed, and I was ready to call an Uber, I heard someone—screaming—saying my name. I turned and saw Rick jumping up and down, smiling brightly at me. He was wearing his favorite green sweater, and his hair was a bit messy.

He swiftly walked up to where I was and hugged me awkwardly, trying not to squash the flowers. The minute I felt his arms around me, I started crying. He held me close and didn't ask anything. People walked passed us, probably thinking that they saw a rom-com moment in developing. After a few moments, I moved, and Rick cupped my face. With gentleness and a knowing look, he cleaned my tears and then took the suitcase. I walked next to him, hugging the plant as if it could give me any comfort. It was until we were in his car that he finally said something.

"What happened?"

"He left." 

"Did he say why?" 

"No." 

Rick frowned, and his shoulders tensed. I had forgotten how protective he was of me. Rick reached out his right hand and placed it over mine. When he stopped at a red light, I finally paid more attention to my surroundings. There were some buildings I didn't remember, and those street's names didn't ring any bell. 

"Where are we going?" I said. 

"First, we are going to stop at the store to buy Merlot Wine because we are going to need it. Then, I'm taking you to my new home. Phillip is already making lunch for us." 

"Gods, you shouldn't have bothered." 

"You are family, Y/N. Besides, we were worried about you," he said with a soft smile. "So prepare yourself for a night of decadent chocolate cake, wine, and a Bridget Jones' Diary movie marathon."

I smiled at the idea.

"And you know, my friend has a cousin that has a cousin that knows someone who knows a supposed bounty hunter. So, hiring a hitman is always an option," he said, moving his eyebrows up and down in a ridiculous way.

"Rick!" I said, laughing.

It felt nice to laugh again. Rick kept talking, but my mind went to another place when my gaze fixed on the sunflowers. 

"Clytie," I murmured.

Rick stopped talking and looked at me for a moment.

"What did you say?"

"Clytie," I said once more. "She was a nymph who loved Apollo. She ended up turned into a sunflower, forced to watch as Apollo moved across the sky, but never able to be by his side." 

Rick's smile faltered and kept quiet. 

As an author, I'm used to writing happy endings. Yet, at that moment, I believed that my happy ending was like Clytie's.

No glory or hope. 

That was our happy ending. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *posts this chapter and hides*
> 
> Just kidding :) Thank you as always.  
> Lots of love,   
> <3


	12. Jam

When we arrived, Rick helped with my luggage, and I kept holding the sunflowers. Although my heart felt heavy, I couldn't stop a smile from forming when I saw the place. It was a two-story house painted with a light peach shade. There were bushes and several flowers in the front yard that made the house look even cozier. Yes, that was the perfect place for Phillip and Rick. They had always dreamt of finding the right location, someplace they could grow old together, and that was it. 

"The front yard and the garden are still a work in progress," he mentioned, paying close attention to my reaction. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful..." 

Rick was beaming, clearly pleased. 

"Let's get you inside. Phillip will be mad if the food gets cold." 

After a short walk, we got inside. There were still some boxes here and there, yet the place already felt like home. The earthy tones of the furniture complemented the bright yellows and oranges on the walls. Yes, it was clear that Rick had already started decorating the place. Other signs of that were the framed photos on the wall. Their wedding picture was right next to one we took when we celebrated our first Halloween together. Our costumes were horrible, yet there were huge smiles on our young faces.

"You used to hate that photo," I said, hiding a chuckle.

"I never said that," he protested, "I just said that I looked more like a zombie rather than a vampire." 

I finally laughed at his comment, but I stopped when I heard steps coming from the other room. Suddenly, Phillip swiftly walked up to me and hugged me tightly. I slightly moved the sunflowers to hug him better. After a few moments, he moved, and his eyes found mine. Phillip's curly hair was still wet as he looked like he had taken a bath just a few minutes ago. His bright smile slowly faded as he found something he didn't like in my gaze. 

"You have been crying," he said. 

It wasn't a question; he statted it as a fact. His eyes moved from mine to Rick's like if he was silently asking what had happened. Maybe he only needed confirmation of his suspicions. Then Phillip looked down and frowned when he saw the sunflowers. 

"What did he do?" Phillip asked.

The answer got stuck in my throat. It took several seconds until I was able to say something. 

"He left," I muttered. 

"What did he say to you? Why did he leave? Did he explain something, at least?" 

I opened my mouth and closed again almost immediately. I didn't want to cry again. 

"Why don't we eat first, honey," Rick quickly said. "We can talk about that later ... We don't want the food to get cold, do we?" 

I smiled at Rick and silently thanked him. Phillip frowned even more but conceded and went to the kitchen. We were about to follow him when Rick stopped and turned to look at me.

"You can put the plant on the coffee table," he said gently. 

I nodded and walked up to where he pointed, but my hands didn't move, and I kept holding the sunflowers. It was as if my body was betraying me. I had to force myself to let go of the plant. Then I followed my friends to the other room. The kitchen smelled like heaven, and I quickly found the source of that glorious scent. Phillip was pulling a freshly baked lasagna of the oven. 

"It smells amazing," I said.

"It better, after all, it's my mom's recipe," Phillip said with a smile. 

"How can I help?" 

"Help me with the wine, please. We're going to have lunch in the living room," Rick said. 

I raised an eyebrow.

"I told you about the movie marathon." 

"Yeah, but I thought it would be after lunch." 

"It's never too early for a Bridget Jones's Diary movie marathon." 

I snorted at his comment, but I helped him nonetheless. After a few minutes, we were in the living room, sitting on the floor around the coffee table watching how Bridget Jones walked down the street on New Year's day on her 32nd year of being single. I smiled as I stuffed my mouth with the most delicious lasagna I've ever tasted. There was something so comforting about being there with my friends watching _ Bridget Jones's Diary.  _ We always did that when someone had a bad day. It was almost a tradition for us. 

I turned and saw how Rick was mouthing the dialogue and how Phillip snorted when Bridget's mom said something horrible. For a brief second, my heart didn't feel as heavy as before. However, I was feeling watched as Phillip kept checking on me when he thought I wouldn't notice. I knew he wanted answers, but I didn't know if I was ready to provide them.

When the first movie ended, we had already finished our lasagna, and we moved on to a glorious and decadent chocolate cake. However, as Bridget and Mark Darcy started arguing once more, I shifted uncomfortably on my seat.

"I don't get what's all the fuss about Mark Darcy," Phillip said suddenly. "I mean, Bridget deserves a better guy."

"WHAT?!" said Rick, pausing the movie and turning to look at his husband. 

"He is an ass ... a good looking one, though."

"Oh, come on—"

"Well, he is right. Colin Firth is a handsome man," I said absently. 

"Okay, that I get," Rick said, "but he is not an ass. He is just  _ peculiar _ ." 

"He left her right when she needed him the most," Phillip sentenced. 

Rick turned to look at me, silently asking me to support his argument. 

"Well, he might have been overwhelmed and only needed a time out to process his feelings."

"Yet, that doesn't make any of his actions any better. Darcy should have thought about the implications of his actions and words. I mean, leaving her just like that is atrocious! Look how sad Bridget is," Phillip said in a harsher tone.

I raised an eyebrow at his comment.

"So, you are saying that Daniel Cleaver was a better option?"

"Of course not, he is the worst," he said. "I'm just saying that Darcy is not a good option neither. He is just as horrible as Daniel Cleaver. Look how he made her cry. That's enough evidence."

"Oh, come on. That's so unfair! You are focusing only on Bridget's side of the story! We don't know how he feels," I said. 

"Who cares about how Darcy feels? I don't want to watch Bridget feeling so miserable. It's clear she has been crying for a while." 

I huffed, annoyed. Rick kept quiet, but his eyes moved from his husband to me and vice versa as if he was watching a tennis match.

"Bridget is better without him." 

"You don't know the full story."

"I don't need to know the full story."

"Oh, come on! You don't even know him!"

"I know enough of him to form an opinion."

"Okay," Rick began to say, "I think we are no longer talking about Bridget and Darcy. Why don't we—" 

"Why are you defending him?" Phillips said, looking at me.

"Because I love him." 

Phillip and Rick kept quiet and looked at each other. Then, their eyes found mine. Rick took a sip of his wine and got up. 

"Well, I think we're going to need more wine," he said. 

I chuckled, but I got quiet as Phillip moved and sat closer to me. I tensed for a second, but when I saw his eyes, I found understanding and tenderness. So, as many times before, I rested my head on his shoulder. Then, for the second time on that day, I cried. Phillip hugged me and held my hand. 

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You don't have to apologize." 

"I do, it just that I can't stand seeing you so sad."

Rick brought the bottle of wine and sat next to us. He carefully poured more wine in the glasses before giving them to us. I drew in a long breath and, then, I started telling the story. I told them how we met thanks to a small and demanding tabby cat and how I slowly fell for him. I mentioned all the little things, and I kept to myself a few of them. I smiled at the memory of our date at the lake and blushed when I recalled our first kiss. However, my smile and happiness vanished when I told them about the incident and how I discovered that he had left. 

Phillip tensed next to me, and Rick rested his head on the sofa as he sighed. After I finished my story, I brushed off a few stubborn tears and took another sip of wine. Rick cleared his throat, and I turned to look at him. He had a gentle look on his face as he offered me a small smile. 

"Why don't you call him? He doesn't sound like a Daniel Cleaver after all," Rick said.

I chuckled, but I took a moment before answering him.

"I don't know... Maybe I'm just afraid to know the truth, to confirm that he doesn't feel the same. Besides, I think that it's something that we need to talk face to face." 

I sighed, and Rick kept quiet. I knew that that was only an excuse, but what I had said was correct: I was scared. Maybe, deep down inside, I still held on the idea that he felt something for me, that he wanted a relationship, and that somehow we could find each other again. Yet, I was still afraid to see that idea shattered. Right away, Phillip sat straight. 

"I know the address," Phillips suddenly said. 

Rick raised an eyebrow when he saw his husband and started laughing. 

"What are you? The FBI?"

"No, I mean, I don't have his home address," he corrected himself. "I know the address of his company. I-I Googled him and read some articles about him and the company he works at, the First Order. The building is near the Modern Art Museum. We could go there if you want ..."

"I'm not Bridget Jones! I-I can't barge into his office in the middle of a reunion and say that I love him. It wouldn't be right."

"No, but you could go to the coffee shop that is nearby and call him to tell him that you want to talk," said Rick. 

"I-I don't know." 

I sighed as I rested my head on the sofa and took another sip of wine. 

"You don't have to make that decision right now, Y/N. Take your time." 

I smiled as I nodded, and I followed Phillips' advice. I'd been three days before I found myself at my apartment staring at my cell phone as I ate a toast with strawberry jam. The black screen reflected the sunflowers that now decorated the living room. I was there alone, sitting on the yellow sofa. As I ate my breakfast, I kept pondering on what to do. I reached out my hand, and, as I was about to grab my phone, the screen lit up. My hand moved as if I had touched fire, and my heart started running a half marathon in my chest. For a second, just a second, I believed it could be Armitage. However, the excitement slowly died when I saw the name on my screen.

"Hi, Y/N!"

"Oh, hi, Lucy," I said.

"You don't have to be  _ that _ excited when I call," she said with a chuckle.

"Oh, sorry." 

"Don't be. I was joking," Lucy said, and I could almost hear her smile. "Phillip mentioned that you were back in the city."

"Oh, yeah, I came back a few days ago, but mostly I have been cleaning and making my apartment come to life again." 

Lucy let out a soft chuckle.

"Do you have plans for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Oh, not really." 

"Perfect! You see, I wanted to ask you a small favor, not as your editor, more as your friend. Do you remember Paul?"

"Paul Montt? From the creative department?"

"Yes! He has been teaching some courses on children's book illustration at the Public Library. Paul has a class tomorrow, but he caught a terrible stomach bug. We were wondering if you could replace him just for tomorrow's class." 

I looked around at my empty apartment as the sunflowers were staring at me. 

"Sure, why not."

"You are the best! I owe you a big lunch."

I laughed carefreely.

"You know me too well."

"I'm going to send an email to the students to inform them about the change, and I'm going to send you the lesson plan. You don't have to worry about anything."

Then we talked a bit more, catching up on what I missed while I was on my 'writing holiday.' Lucy told me about her new English pound cake recipe and how much she enjoyed the first chapters of my new book. Then, after we said our goodbyes, I started gathering the materials I was going to need for tomorrow's class. 

I placed all my attention on the class, pushing aside every thought I had about Armitage Hux. Because of that, the hours went by rapidly, and a new day arrived. I took a quick shower and put on a lovely emerald dress. It was vintage, but I liked how I looked wearing it. After I grabbed my art supplies and gave one last glance at the sunflowers, I went outside and took an Uber to the Public Library. The traffic was terrible as always, yet I arrived after only thirty minutes. I opened the car door, and the smell of the city hit me. From where I was, I could see the Public Library. The building was old and huge; however, it had something special that catches the attention of all the passersby. Finally, I got out of the Uber after I thanked the driver. 

The streets were cold, and, weirdly enough, there weren't a lot of cars parked around the library. I looked around, and a particular black vehicle caught my eye. For a strange reason, it looked so out of place. Maybe it was the model or the design, but there was something there that was bugging me. However, I couldn't ponder about it because someone suddenly pulled me into a hug. I turned only to found the chestnut wavy hair of Lucy. Her eyes shined brightly, and her smile was infectious. 

"God, I had missed you so much!"

"I'd missed you too," I said, returning the hug. 

"We have to talk about your new book, but, come first, let's get everything ready for the class." 

We kept talking a little bit of everything as Lucy took me to an empty room. There were different art supplies on the table and a large whiteboard close to the windows. Three students were already there, and I said 'hi' to them. Lucy went outside to pick up a call as I look around. I was placing my stuff on a desk when somebody cleared her throat behind me. I turned, and I had to look up. In front of me was an exceptionally tall and beautiful woman. She had short light golden hair and blue eyes. She was imposing, but the smile on her face made me feel at ease. 

"Hello. Could you help me?" the tall woman said.

"Oh, sure," I said quickly. 

"You see, I was looking for a particular book for a friend of mine." 

"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry," said a voice behind her. "Aunty, she's the substitute teacher, not a librarian." 

I moved a bit to look at the smaller girl standing behind the tall woman. She was a bit tanner and had black hair. Her clothes had bright colors that contrasted with the black suit of her aunt. 

"I know, Frey, but I thought that maybe she could help me. After all, she is a writer, right?" she said, looking at me.

I nodded.

"It's alright. I don't mind helping." 

The blond woman smiled at me.

"Frey, why don't you go set your stuff. I'll be here when the class is over to pick you up."

"Thank you, aunty."

I smiled at the girl and then placed my attention on her aunt. 

"You see, I need a particular book to help my friend with a ridiculous problem." 

"Maybe if you tell me more, I could think of a book for your friend."

"Excellent! You see, my friend met this wonderful and beautiful woman, and he fell fast for her. You should hear him talk about her! God, it is the first time I've seen my friend acting like that," she said with a gentle look on her face. "However, my friend got angry one day—not with her, of course—and he said some idiotic things. She was upset, rightfully, but my halfwit friend got scared. So, he left." 

"Oh."

I didn't know how to answer or react. Probably, it was because that story hit too close to home for my taste.

"He wrote her a note, but she never called him. And, now, I'm trying to convince him to be brave and talk to her. However, he fears that he has already screwed up everything."

"That's ... oddly specific," I said. "So, you need a book about being brave? I'm sorry, but I don't know what kind of book to recommend you. Maybe one about relationships? You can find several in the self-help section."

I stood there, awkwardly smiling and not knowing what else to say.

"Well, thank you anyway, that is good advice," she said with a sigh.

She turned to leave. I didn't know what pushed me to call her, but I felt that I needed to say something else.

"Excuse me?" I said. 

"Yes?"

"You should tell your friend that he should just call her. Maybe she is just as afraid as he is. Maybe she is waiting for his call," I blurted out. 

The woman kept quiet for a moment. She looked at me as if she was trying to find something in my gaze. After a few seconds, she smiled brightly at me. 

"I'm going to tell him exactly that. Thank you," the woman said.

We said our goodbyes, and I finished getting everything ready for the class. The rest of the students arrived shortly after. They were lovely and paid attention to every single one of my words. We talked a bit about composition and color theory, and we made a few sketches before the class was over. 

They thanked me and said goodbye before leaving with big smiles on their faces. After that, I gathered my supplies and went outside. The winds made the skirt of my dress dance a bit. Protecting myself from the wind, I turned, only to find that the black car was still on the very same spot. The city stopped moving as I fixed my gaze on that vehicle. After a few moments, the front door of the car opened. I could swear that I saw a dot of red coming out of the automobile; however, someone calling my name made me turn. 

Lucy was walking up to where I was standing. I smiled, but my eyes went back again to the black car. However, the door was closed once more.

"That's weird," I muttered.

"What's weird?" 

"Oh, nothing."

She smiled at me.

"The students were happy. Frey loved how you explained color theory."

"Frey?"

"The girl with black hair. Her aunt was the tall woman you were talking to."

"Oh, what was her name?"

"I don't remember, Pha-something? Anyway, what did she want?"

"Oh, she just needed a book recommendation." 

After that, Lucy kept talking about the editorial as we walked to an Italian restaurant nearby, and we left behind the topic of the tall woman. However, my mind was busy replaying what I had said to that lady. As I finished ordering my lunch, I had already made a decision.

_ I'm going to call Armitage tomorrow.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all your lovely comments and kudos! I'm truly honored that you take a moment of your day to read this story. Thank you! And don't worry, we are going to hear from Armitage really soon.  
> Love,  
> <3


	13. Cardinal red

I couldn't sleep properly that night, and, after a quick shower, I started roaming through my room, trying to find what to wear. Phillip and Rick arrived at 10 a.m. with freshly baked croissants and hot chocolate; it wasn't the most nutritious breakfast on Earth, but it helped a lot with my nerves.  _ Was I only a fling?  _ There I was, still on my bathrobe, sitting on my bed between Rick and Phillip, feeling like a scared young girl with that horrible question in my head. 

"I like the yellow dress," Phillip said. 

"It's too Grace Kelly," Rick mentioned. "She needs something fresher, more Audrey Hepburn in  _ Sabrina  _ or  _ Roman Holiday.  _ Why don't you try a white shirt with a beige skirt?"

"The midi skirt with a cloth belt?" I asked. 

"That one!"

I got up and grabbed the clothes Rick had suggested. Then I went to the bathroom to get changed. I heard them whispering something, and when I went back to the bedroom, Phillip was frowning. However, when he saw me, he smiled. 

"You look wonderful," Phillip said gently. 

"Thank you." 

"Are you ready?" Rick asked. 

"Not really ... but we better get going." 

Rick nodded and got up; Phillip quickly followed. We walked in silence. Rick was smiling, Phillip, on the other hand, was frowning again, and me, well, I didn't know how I was feeling. It was like I was walking on a frozen lake, too far from the shore to feel safe, but very close to it to be completely hopeless. I wanted, no, I needed answers. Honestly, I wasn't even hoping that things would be what they used to be, but I least I needed to know what went wrong.  _ Was I only a fling? _ I didn't want to think that, but that question was tormenting me from the moment I put a step out of that cottage.

The sunflowers were looking at me, sensing my nerves, as I closed the door from my apartment. I just sighed as a response. Then, we took the elevator, and, in a matter of minutes, we were inside Rick's gray car. I was sitting on the back seat, just looking through the window. I didn't pay much attention to the music on the radio since my mind was miles away.  _ Was I only a fling?  _ It was almost as if someone was whispering that question in my ear with more insistence since I had woken up that morning. However, it wasn't just a random voice; it was mine. It was like self-imposed torture. Phillip suddenly cleared his throat and pulled me out of my thoughts. 

"Are you sure of this?" Phillip asked, turning around to look at me. 

"You want an honest answer?" I said.

"I would appreciate that." 

I drew in a deep breath, and my eyes found his.

"I don't know ... I don't know what to expect or how Armitage will react, but I can't spend one more day just wondering what happened or if I was only a fling and nothing more."

"What if it was only a fling?" 

"PHILLIP," Rick said in a hushed tone. 

"What? I hate to be the party popper, but that could be his answer."

"Yes, but—"

"It's okay, Rick ... I mean, that what I've been asking myself all day ... I won't lie, it would hurt a lot, but I least I would have an answer, you know?" 

Phillip looked at me with a resigned smile on his face. 

"You know that if anything happens—"

"I will immediately call you." 

"And we will come right away to pick you up," Phillip added. 

"Thank you." 

"We are family, Y/N." 

Rick silently listened to our conversation and smiled at us. Phillip reached out his hand and held mine. He looked at me with kindness as I sighed once more. Al least, no matter what would happen that day, at the end of it, I would have a family to go back to, a small loving family of my own. However, I was still nervous. After all, I had hoped that Armitage and Millicent, someday, somehow, could be part of this family. 

Rick parked the car. The Modern Art Museum stood still in front of us. It had a weird structure that contrasted with the other buildings around it.

"See that black building over there," Phillip said, pointing out.

I nodded.

"That's the place. If you walk a bit more, you will find a small coffee shop. It's called 'New Hope.'" 

I took a deep breath once more. As I did that, Rick turned. He looked a lot calmer than his husband, and there was hope, a lot of hope, in his eyes.

"You are going to be all right. I can feel it in my bones." 

"Listen to yourself. You sound like an old man."

"I am an old soul, after all."

I chuckled at his comment, and, for an instant, I felt lighter. Then reality hit me, and I gulped. My friends immediately sensed my hesitation. 

"We are going to be nearby, just one call away, okay?"

I looked at my small family and smiled.

"Thank you, guys, for everything."

They smiled and held my hands for an instant before I opened the door and got out of the car. The wind welcomed me again, and the sound of the busy city filled my ears. There were a lot of people walking down the street, going in and out of buildings and cars. My eyes wandered around the place until they got fixed on the tall black building. It stood there, imposing and, somehow, scary. The geometrical First Order's logo was close to the front door, and two security guards stood there wearing white uniforms. 

After what it felt like a year, I started walking. I dodged some businessmen that were too busy looking at their phones on my way. It didn't matter; I was a woman on a mission. I kept walking and walking, but the street felt eternal. My feet kept moving, and I didn't turn when I passed in front of the black building. Yet, I stopped immediately when a voice called my name. I knew that voice; I could almost taste the condescending and cold tone of it. 

"Miss Y/N, what a lovely surprise," said Pryde. 

I turned slowly. Enric Pryde was standing right in front of me with his icy blue eyes. He was wearing an expensive black suit, and his smile was unnerving. Standing next to him was a younger man. He was tall and pale. His skin color contrasted with his dark hair. His brown, almost chocolate, eyes hid curiosity when he looked at me. 

"Good morning, Sir," I said, forcing a smile on my face. 

He came closer, but I stood my ground. The way he looked at me made me more uncomfortable. However, he suddenly looked back at the young man.

"Oh, how rude of me. I haven't properly introduced you. Miss Y/N, this is Kylo Ren. Sir, this is Y/N L/N. She was Hux's little  _ neighbor. _ "

My smile dropped at the mention of Armitage, and Kylo Ren smirked, knowingly. Pryde's eyes went back to mine, and his smile grew wider as a predator that is about to kill its prey. 

"Oh, my! Don't tell me you were looking for Hux. Such a pity and a waste of time if I may add, my dear."

I remained silent for a second. It was a sort of dance between prey and hunter for Pryde; it was clear. However, he didn't find what he was looking for in my face. Oh no, I wouldn't let him had that pleasure. 

"No, actually, I was going to the coffee shop. The New Hope, do you know it? One of my editors recommended me their cardamom coffee," I lied. 

"Cardamom coffee?"

"Yes, she said it's quite delicious and unique."

Pryde's smile faltered for an instant, but he quickly recovered. 

"Then you are in luck that you weren't looking for that idiot, my dear. After all, Hux resigned a few days ago."

"He resigned?" 

My mouth moved faster than my brain, and I quickly regretted my slip when I saw a sparkle of interest in his eyes. However, before Pryde could say something, Kylo Ren spoke.

"He presented his resignation letter last Monday. Hux already cleared his office," he said.

His voice hid no malice behind it; Ren was stating a fact. 

"No need to worry your lovely head with that, my dear. After all, that pathetic wimp was nothing but a traitor. We are going to find a replacement in no time." 

The way he spoke about Armitage once again stroke a nerve in me. However, I knew how to dance too. So, I smiled and got ready.

"I don't know, Sir."

"Pardon me?" Pryde said. 

"I was just Armitage's neighbor, but I saw how he worked. Armitage could spend day and night in front of his computer, writing and fixing reports, organizing information, and so much more. It was quite impressive if I may add."

"Well—"

"So here's the rub, I don't think you are going to find someone that could replace him so easily. He was a key element of your company. Some may argue that he was part of the soul of it. It is a shame for the First Order, ultimately." 

He was smiling, but there was anger, so much anger, in his eyes. On the other hand, Kylo Ren looked amused.

"Well, but don't take my word for it. After all, I have such an innocent way to see the world. That's why kids must love my books, right?"

I said those last words with the best smile I could conjure and with such innocence that nobody would find malice behind them. Yet, Pryde's smile vanished because he knew too well those words; after all, he had said those exact words to me when we were walking down the path to Armitage's cottage. 

"Well, I think I should go. I still have places to go and things to do. Gentlemen," I said softly. 

"It was nice to meet you," Kylo Ren said.

I nodded and waited for a second for Pryde's response, but it never came. So, I quickly turned around and started walking. I smiled, and for an instant, I forgot about everything else. It was until I arrived at the coffee shop that the implications of the information I just received dawned on me. Armitage no longer worked on the First Order, and, suddenly, my plan was gone. I could still call him, but I felt more nervous than before. So, I ordered a chamomille tea and sat next to a window. I took out my phone and started playing with it as I drank my tea. I turned to see that a few drops of rain were beginning to mess up with the clean window.  _ Was I only a fling?  _ That recurrent thought came back once more to haunt me. I took another sip as that voice inside my head was growing louder and louder. 

For one instant, I believed that the best thing to do was to call my friends and end that adventure before anything else happened. However, before I did anything, I saw a red dot moving down the street. I stood up immediately, and the people in the coffee shop turned to look at me because of my abrupt movement. That question inside my head got replace with a word:  _ Armitage _ . I left the money on the table and quickly went outside. I looked around until I found him again. He had opened his black umbrella and was walking fast.

"Armitage!" I shouted.

Nonetheless, it looked like he didn't hear me because he kept walking. I had to act fast. So I started running, but I came to a sudden stop when the green color of the traffic light flashed, and the cars began moving quickly. I fixed my eyes on his movements, and, after the red light turned on, I ran again. 

"Armitage!" I shouted once more.

People around me looked at me funny. I didn't mind that as I kept moving and dodging the passersby. He turned on the corner, and I did the same thing a few seconds later. No matter how hard I tried, he always seemed to be far away. The rain got worse, and its smell got mixed with the smog of the city. I was getting wet, but I didn't pay attention to that at all. 

Finally, he got inside a convenience store, and that gave me enough time to catch up with him. I ran as fast as I could down the street, and I was out of breath when I stopped at the front door. He was nowhere in sight, but I knew that I had seen him going inside. So, I fixed my wet hair and got inside too. The cashier gave me a weird look before I quietly said good morning to her. I walked through the aisles until I saw a man wearing a black suit. His hair was almost ginger. I couldn't see his face, but my heart started running a marathon inside my chest. I gulped, and I tried to make myself look decent enough.

I took a deep breath before I walked up to him. When I was close enough to Armitage, I tapped on his shoulder. 

"Armi—"

However, the rest of his name died on my lips as he turned around. In front of me was a man with a gentle face and ginger hair. He gave me a puzzled look.

"You are not Armitage," I blurted out, stating the obvious. 

"No, I'm sorry ... My name is Charlie."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize at all. I'm the one who should be apologizing right now. I just thought that you were someone else. I'm sorry."

"Hey, no harm is done." 

I smiled awkwardly, and he looked at me expectantly. 

"Oh, right. I should go and let you do your shopping. Have a nice day!" I said, rushing the words out of my mouth.

He kindly smiled before I walked away. My face was burning when I went outside of the convenience store. I didn't pay much attention to the rain as my mind was busy reliving my morning. Then, thanks to the weird way memories work, I remembered what my college roommate used to tell me all the time. She used to say that if something is for you, the Universe or Fate will put you at the right time and place. However, if something isn't for you, you will face obstacle after obstacle. I used to believe that that was nonsense; however, as I walked under the rain, I started thinking that maybe she wasn't that wrong, after all. That what had happened was a sign of the Universe or Fate that I shouldn't call him. That I just needed to accept the fact that Armitage didn't feel the same, and that I was nothing more than a fling. 

My thought process stopped for an instant when I didn't feel the cold rain anymore. I looked up just to find a weird glass structure that seemed to act as a porte-cochere. I turned to see the name of the building: "The Cardinal." Resigned, I took out my phone to call Phillip. At least, I wouldn't get wetter as I waited for my friends to pick me up. I was about to press the green button on the screen when I heard a voice.

"Miss?" 

I turned and saw a doorkeeper waving at me. He had white hair and sweet eyes. His wrinkles were visible every time he smiled.

"Yes?" I said.

"If you need to call an Uber, you can always wait for it in the lobby. It's freezing outside, and you are going to catch a cold."

"Oh, I don't mind waiting outside, Sir."

"Oh, rubbish! Come inside," he said.

It was clear that he wouldn't change his mind, so I smiled and got inside rapidly. Not surprisingly, the lobby was big and clean. There were a few plants here and there, and it looked elegant yet a bit cozy. It was an apartment building, after all. It didn't have that sense of newness proper of a hotel. 

"You can wait there. The sofa is more comfortable than it looks like," the doorkeeper said with another smile after he had guided me through the lobby. "Do you need anything?"

"No, Sir. You have done more than enough." 

He nodded and went back to the entrance. I sat down on a mahogany sofa, and I was surprised to find out that, just like he had said, it was more comfortable than it looked. After a moment, I looked at the contact list on my phone and fixed my gaze on Armitage's name. Maybe, if I just try one more time, I could finally move on. However, I felt like a coward at that moment. I sighed, closed my eyes, and rested my head on the back of the sofa. Yet, I didn't find any peace because, after just a few seconds, I felt something rubbing against my legs. A quiet purr reached my ears, and I opened my eyes right away. I looked down, and a ginger tabby cat greeted me. 

"Millicent?" I asked with a shaky voice.

The cat looked pleased and meowed. Immediately, I picked Millicent up and started petting her. Millicent meowed and purred, demanding every ounce of my attention. My smile grew brightly, and a few happy tears escaped from my eyes.

"Millicent!" a voice shouted from the street. 

It was Armitage's. I couldn't see him from where I was, but I was so sure. That was his voice. 

"Robert, please, tell me that you saw Millicent coming inside. I don't know what happened to her. She suddenly jumped from my arms and ran, and—"

"Oh, yes, Sir. She just passed by. I believe Millicent must be here in the lobby. Do you need help looking for her?"

He was scared and worried, but as soon as he heard what the doorkeeper say, he sighed. 

"Don't worry, Robert. She must be close. Thank you." 

I heard steps coming closer. So, I drew in a long breath and got up, still holding Millicent in my arms. 

"Milli—"

Armitage never finished saying the cat's name. He closed his mouth as soon as he saw me. His hair was wet, and Armitage had dark circles under his eyes. He gulped and seemed to have his black shoes stuck to the white floor. I look at his hands, and Armitage was slightly shaking, maybe because of the cold or something else. He gulped one more time when my eyes found his. He looked tired and, somehow, sad. Yet, I saw a sparkle in them, one that gave me new hope. So, being as brave as I could, I walked up to him.

"Armitage," I said slowly.

I saw him flinch when I said his name, and my heart dropped. I got closer, and his body tensed. I sighed. Yes, this wasn't a good idea. I placed Millicent in his arms, gave her one last kiss, and started walking to the front door. However, I stopped when I heard Armitage calling my name. I turned and saw how he ran to where I was. He stopped right in front of me. His eyes never leaving mine.

"Ple-please, don't ... please, don't go," he said.

I opened my mouth just to closed it right away, not knowing what to say next. So, I moved closer to Armitage and placed my hand over his. He didn't flinch again, and his cold hand began to feel warmer. Armitage looked at me with so much attention, as he believed that I would go away in a blink of an eye. We stood there looking at each other until Millicent meowed loudly. We both chuckled and looked at the cat. When our eyes met again, we smile shyly.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," I said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all your comments, kudos, and hits! I really love reading your reactions <3  
> And, yeah, those two couldn't be apart for too long ;)  
> See you next week.  
> Love,  
> X


	14. Cherise

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," I said. 

We stood there for a minute or more; honestly, it didn't matter. Part of me didn't believe what was happening, and the other part was too scared to say something. My eyes were trying to decipher what he was feeling, and that horrible question that had plagued my mind all day was coming back once more. I had long forgotten the cold, yet a slight shiver traveled down my spine. Armitage saw it immediately, and a concerned look appeared on his face. It seemed like he wanted to come closer; nonetheless, he hesitated before acting or saying somethings as if he didn't know how to behave at that moment. 

"You're cold," he said, "would you ... would you like to go to my apartment?" 

I was expecting him to say something, yet that question surprised me so much that I didn't answer right away. However, that silence was enough to make Armitage worry. Sadness filled his eyes as he dropped his shoulders. Armitage looked down but found my gaze once again when I gently squeezed his hand. 

"Yes ... thank you."

"Oh ... Okay." 

He let out a long breath that I didn't know he was holding and nodded. Armitage started walking to the elevator, and I followed him. After a few seconds, we went inside. We stood there in that metallic box in silence as it went up. We stood there not too close yet not too far. We stood there as two strangers that knew too much about each other. 

I fixed my gaze on the silver door; however, when Armitage gulped, I turned and saw him out of the corner of my eye. He was slightly tapping his foot on the floor. It was clear that he was uncomfortable. I drew in a long breath, and the sound made him look at me. Our eyes met again, but the doors opening on the 14th floor caught our attention. In less than a minute, we went inside the first apartment to the right. 

Millicent jumped to the wooden floor as soon as Armitage stepped inside. I didn't dare to say anything; I just observed my surroundings. Just like the cottage, the apartment looked pristine. Not a single thing was out of place in the living room. It almost looked like a new apartment, to say at least. Phillip and Rick's house felt so full of life, so full of new and old memories, so full of them. However, Armitage's apartment seemed like a hotel room, as if he didn't use to spend a lot of time there. There was a dark navy blue couch on the light blue pattern rug. There was a big TV, but there were no photos on the white walls except for one single and large frame—actually, too large. I didn't hear what Armitage said as I walked up to it because the only thing that mattered at that instant was the drawing that was in the frame: the sunflowers.

I stood there, speechless. I didn't even feel when some tears started to gather in the corners of my eyes. Seeing that drawing was almost as some cosmic joke. My eyes followed every trace as my mind recalled all those feelings that I had poured through color. Suddenly, I felt something on my left shoulder. I turned my head to see Armitage's hand. Then, my mouth moved faster than my brain. 

"Was I only a fling?" I asked. 

I turned immediately and saw his stunned face. He opened his mouth, but no word came out. His eyes were wide open, and his shock turned into hurt. 

"Why ... why would you think that?" he said. "I wanted-want to be your boyfriend ... Why ... why would you think that?" 

This time, I felt when the first tear escaped. 

"You left ... You left without saying anything, no call, no text, not even a note. It hurt."

Armitage blinked and frowned. Then he moved his hand away.

"No, no ... I-no."

He lowered his head as his arms remained at his sides. 

"Was I only a fling?" I asked once again.

Armitage shook his head and looked up. There was a storm in his gaze. He came closer and, decisively, cupped my face. His eyes found mine.

"You could never be just a fling. You were more. You are so much more." 

"Then, why did you leave without saying anything?"

"I didn't ... I wrote you a note."

"There was no note, Armitage." 

"I swear ... I wrote a note. I couldn't have left you without a word."

I didn't say anything, and Armitage looked hurt. He was about to move away, but I placed my hands on top of his. I believe that that action gave him hope because a tiny smile appeared on his face. 

"I can prove it." 

"Armitage—"

"Please, let me."

His hands left my face, and, in an instant, I started missing his warmth. Armitage moved fast and went to another room. I just stood there until he came back with several papers. He gently offered them to me, and I took them. His neat handwriting decorated the pages. I read my name and some unfinished sentences; there were a lot of crossed-out words too. I looked up and found his eyes again.

"What are these?" 

"Drafts," he said. "I didn't know how ... how to say what I needed to say. I wrote different drafts, but none were good enough. I was too afraid to go inside, so I left the last note I wrote on the doormat, under a rock." 

The cold embraced me once more as I listened to every single one of his words. I remembered tripping on a rock; I remembered throwing it away in a hurry. Yes, that day remained in my memory.

"Under a rock?" 

"I-I know it was stupid, but—"

"The rain, Armitage." 

"The rain?" 

"It rained ... The note must have gotten wet. I-I just remember the rock on the doormat. There was no note."

Armitage looked down and didn't say anything for a moment. Then his shoulders started shaking, and an incredulous laugh escaped from his lips.

"It rained," he repeated to himself. "It rained." 

"Armitage?" I asked.

He finally looked at me. Armitage seemed more tired than before, but the weight on his shoulders looked lighter. 

"I thought you hated me." 

"Hate you? Armitage, I could never hate you."

"After how I reacted ... God, I made you cry!"

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes, and I felt horrible," he said. "In the note, I asked you to call me, but you never did. So, my worst fears came to life. I had single-handed ruined one of the best things that ever happened to me." 

"Armitage, I didn't know. After I found that you had left, I-I thought that I was only a fling to you—"

"No, no, never."

"I was too afraid to call, to confirm my fears, to say goodbye to  _ us _ ."

My name escaped from his lips almost as a plea.

"I'm so sorry ... If you could—"

I didn't let him finished. I walked up to him and hugged him. Armitage's body stiffened for a second, but then his arms pulled me even closer. It was good to be in his arms again. His heart was pounding so fast that I could hear him against his chest. Armitage kept whispering apologies until a shiver ran down my body once more.

"You're cold," he said. "Come" 

He guided me to his bedroom, and before I could say something, Armitage started looking around until he found a baggy gray hoodie. He gave it to me with a shy smile. 

"I remember this hoodie," I said without thinking. "Our first date ..."

"Yeah ... after you get change, I could put your shirt on the dryer." 

"Thank you." 

Armitage nodded and gave me another tiny smile before he left. He closed the door, and I quickly took off my wet shirt. I put on the gray hoodie and finally gave myself time to appreciate my surroundings. The bedroom looked different, more lived-in. Millicent's bed and toys were around, and there were books on the nightstand. He had probably made his bed in a hurry, and he left his slippers right beside it. I looked closer to found out that the slippers had tiny cat paws on it. That alone made me smile. 

After another moment, I took a deep breath and got out of the room. I went to the living room, but Armitage wasn't there. I kept exploring the apartment, but my feet stopped moving when I saw the dining room. What caught my eyes wasn't the lovely carpet or the beautiful furniture; no, it was what it was on the wooden table: mugs. I got closer and picked one up. The drawing on it looked like a failed first attempt. Although it needed more work, it was clear what the illustration was: sunflowers. My gaze jumped from one mug to another just to found out that all of them had the same drawing. 

Some were better than others. 

Some had more yellow than others. 

Some looked funnier than others. 

However, in the end, together, they all made a small garden on the table. 

"Y/N?" Armitage said.

I turned to look at him and smiled. Armitage was blushing profusely. His cheeks and the tip of his ears had a red shade.

"You weren't supposed to see this." 

"What are these?"

He sighed. Then Armitage got closer and picked up a mug. 

"When Pryde called, I was so angry that I accidentally dropped my favorite mug. I picked up the pieces, and I glued it together," he said as he showed me the chipped cup. "However, it looked like I didn't have all the pieces ... I tried looking for the same mug on the Internet, but I had no luck. So, I tried painting, but they look hideous."

Armitage chuckled and looked down. My eyes went back to the mug in my hands, and my smile grew brighter.

"I like this one," I said. 

Armitage looked at the mug I was holding.

"Oh, no ... That was the first one." 

"I like it. It has character." 

He gave me a small smile. Then, we kept quiet. It was a weird feeling. It was almost as if we were learning how to act around each other again. 

"Armitage?"

"Yes?

"Do you still have paint and more mugs?" I asked.

He looked at me for a moment, understanding what I was implying. Then Armitage took my wet shirt and nodded. 

"I'll be right back." 

Armitage left, and I moved the mugs to the side. Millicent jumped onto one of the chairs and looked at me curiously. I gently scratched the top of her head. Then, I heard Armitage coming back.

"She had missed you," he said, placing the materials on the table.

"I had missed her," I said. "I had missed both of you." 

"I had missed you too ... so much."

There was a pregnant pause. It felt as if we needed to say more, so much more, and it was true. At least, I needed to say something. However, Armitage cleared his throat and changed the subject. 

"Would you like some hot chocolate?"

I nodded. 

"Could I use this one?" I said, giving him the mug I had picked up before.

"Really?"

"It's my new favorite one."

Armitage was blushing once again as he took the mug and went to the kitchen. Meanwhile, I started by putting the newspaper on the table. Then, using an alcohol-covered cotton ball, I wiped down two white mugs. By the time Armitage came back with the hot chocolate, everything was ready. We sat next to each other and started painting and drinking in silence. 

"I'm sorry," I said after a few minutes.

Armitage put down his brush and looked at me, frowning.

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have mentioned your father that day. It wasn't my place."

I fixed my gaze on the mug I was painting until Armitage placed his hand over mine. I looked up and saw his gentle eyes.

"No, I needed to hear that ... I reacted poorly."

"No, Armitage, you had every right to be upset that day," I said.

I put down the brush and intertwined my fingers with his. Armitage looked at our hands and smiled. 

"For a long time, the only thing I had was my job ... If I failed at my job, what would that say about me?" Armitage said before finding my eyes once again. "It would say that Ren was right about me, that Pryde was right, that Snoke was right ... that my father was right about me. So I worked till my body collapsed." 

"Armitage ..."

"I went to the woods to rest, but I kept working and working until I met you. You were by no means a distraction nor a waste of time. You helped me find balance," he said with a sad chuckle. "And I had to ruin what we had just as my father said I ruined all things."

I squeezed his hand gently.

"Armitage, you didn't ruin anything." 

He gave me an incredulous smile.

"That night, after I heard you cry, I was afraid ... So afraid you would hate me, that you wouldn't want to talk to me again, that you would want me out of your life. So, I did what I used to do when I was a child, I left. I left because I didn't want to hear you say that you didn't want me anymore." 

"I went to the bedroom because I needed time. I was hurt, and you were upset, but that didn't mean that my feelings changed," I said.

"I'm so stupid," he said.

"No, you were scared ... I was scared too." 

"I don't deserve you."

"Armitage," I said with a stern voice, "you deserve this and more, and I'm going to keep reminding you of that as long as you let me be by your side." 

Armitage's face had the same red shade once more, and I felt the heat rising to my face as well. We kept quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable anymore. 

"Now what?" Armitage asked.

"Now ... we finish painting." 

Armitage smiled—truly smiled—and took his brush. We kept painting, stealing glances, and sharing smiles. Sometimes, our hands would brush against each other, making us blush like school kids. There was a warmth in my chest that grew every time I caught Armitage looking at me. 

After we finished, we let the mugs dry on the table, and we went to the kitchen. I helped Armitage wash the cups that we had used. Then, he asked me if I wanted to stay for lunch, and I said yes. As he began to cook, I went to the living room to make a quick call. As we had agreed, Phillip answered immediately.

"Y/N? Everything is okay?" 

"Yes, I, well, the plan changed a bit."

"Where are you? We can pick you up right away." 

"Oh, that won't be necessary ... I'm in Armitage's apartment. We are going to have lunch." 

"You are in his apartment? Wait, I'm going to put you on speaker," said Phillip.

"Hi, Y/N!" said Rick a few seconds later. 

"Hi, Rick. Everything is fine. We talked about what happened."

"In  _ his apartment _ ," he said, too casually.

"I know. It's a long story, but I swear everything is okay."

There was silence on the other side of the line for a moment.

"Was it ... was it only a fling?" 

"PHILLIP," his husband said. 

I chuckled.

"No, it was-is more ..." 

"Good, call us if you need anything." 

We say our goodbyes, and, after I placed my phone back in my pocket, I went to the kitchen. I stopped by the door when I heard Armitage's voice.

"She looks so pretty, don't you think, Millicent?" 

Millicent meowed as a response. 

"Yes, I know. I've missed Y/N too." 

I smiled at the scene and walked up to him in silence. Armitage was so focused on the food that he didn't hear me. I hugged him from behind, and he stopped what he was doing.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," he said.

I let him go, and he turned. I gently kissed him on the cheek, and Armitage looked at me, dumbfounded and blushing.

"How can I help?"

He smiled and told me what to do. Then, slowly, we fall back into the same dance we used to have in the cottage. We moved around the kitchen as if we had never been apart. A few minutes later, the food was ready, and we ate at the kitchen counter. We talked a bit about Millicent, food, and books. However, there was still one thing that I wanted to ask, but I didn't know how to approach the subject.

After we did the dishes, we went to the living room. We sat on the sofa, too far from each other for my taste. Millicent came a moment later and started meowing, clearly upset. 

"What is it, Millicent?"

"You are sitting on her spot," Armitage said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Millicent."

I moved closer to Armitage, and Millicent jumped onto the sofa and lay down. I turned to look at Armitage. He cleared his throat and got closer to me too. Then Armitage put his arm around me. My heart was jumping up and down as I rested my head on his shoulders. He offered me his other hand, and I placed mine on his. I looked up; Armitage seemed finally at peace as his gaze was on the drawing on the wall.

"Armitage?"

"Hmm."

"What did the note say?"

"Oh, nothing important ... there were only four sentences." 

"Tell me, please."

He waited for more than a second and let out a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me. Please call."

I moved away a bit, enough to face him. Armitage looked scared again. He intertwined his fingers with mine, but his eyes were still on the drawing. 

"Armitage, what was the last sentence?"

Armitage turned, and his eyes went to our hands before they found mine. He gulped.

"I love you."

Without missing a beat, I kissed him, and, oh, gods, he kissed me back. Armitage pulled me closer, and I cupped his face. 

There was no more space between us.

There were no more doubts between us. 

There was no more fear between us. 

It was only us. Yes, it was only  _ us. _ I felt cherished in Armitage's arms, and he kissed me once more, whispering 'I love you' when our lips parted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you. I think every week I say something out of the same line, but it's true. I truly feel grateful.   
> See you next week.  
> Love,   
> x


	15. Mandarin red

Before the kiss died on our lips, Armitage whispered one more time: "I love you." I opened my eyes and found him looking at me with something close to adoration. Yet, it wasn't just adoration; no, it was more. In his eyes, I could see love. It wasn't hiding; instead, it was in plain sight. My fingers traced his face as he closed his eyes, enjoying every single touch. I studied him for a moment. There were dark circles under his eyes, and a soft blush painted his cheeks. I gave him a quick kiss on the tip of the nose, and he chuckled. Armitage slowly opened his eyes and looked at me. His eyes held such emotion that it was almost too much. 

"I love you," I said after a quiet moment. 

Armitage opened his eyes even more, and his eyebrows almost reach the hairline. The blush on his face got darker, and a smile appeared. 

"You do?" he asked.

I smiled as my cheeks grew warmer. 

"I do." 

Now, it was Armitage's turn to kiss me. His lips were on mine the minute the last word left my mouth. Soft touches and sweet sighs were all I knew at that moment. My hands went to his hair as we got impossibly closer. My name was on his lips, and I couldn't have felt more cherished. However, a loud meow made us break the kiss. When we turned, a very smug-looking Millicent was staring at us. We both blushed as teenagers that just got caught. 

"Sometimes, I believe that you truly enjoy interrupting us," Armitage said.

I couldn't hold my laugh any longer as Milicent jumped on my lap. I gently scratched her head, and Armitage started kissing my neck. 

"I've missed this," he softly said as he rested his head on my shoulder. 

"Me too." 

We stayed there, stealing kisses and tender words. There were moments of silence that said too much. However, as the light dimmed and the sounds of the rush hour grew louder, I remembered where we were, and the city was not like the woods.

"It's getting late," I finally said. "I-I should go." 

"You don't have to ... I mean, you could stay longer if you want." 

"Armitage, I already made you change your plans for today."

"You didn't. I'm just waiting for some clients' reports. Do you-do you wanna go?" 

I smiled sheepishly. 

"Not really." 

"Good ... I promised you that I would teach you how to make Boxty, right?" he said. "Would you like to watch an old movie and eat potato pancakes for dinner?" 

I nodded as a response, and he smiled brightly. Armitage gave me one more kiss and stood up. Although Millicent protested, I placed her on the sofa and took Armitage's hand before standing up as well. He guided me to the kitchen as he softly listed the ingredients: flour, baking powder, potatoes, buttermilk, and butter. Armitage went through his cabinets and fridge as he collected all the ingredients. First, we put some potatoes in boiling water, set the timer, and as we waited for them to be ready, Armitage pulled me closer. We were face to face, and my heart started beating faster. 

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," I said.

"I'll never stop loving to say 'hi' to you." 

I chuckled at his comment. 

"Why is that?" 

"Because it means you're here ... you're here with me," he said with a small blush on his face. 

He looked down for an instant as if he was wondering how to say the next thing. Armitage's eyes found mine, and then he opened and closed his mouth immediately. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

"You are going to think that it's stupid." 

I raised an eyebrow. 

"Try." 

He let out a small laugh. Then Armitage took in a long breath and looked up. I gently placed one hand on his cheek and made him look at me once more. 

"What is it?" I asked again. 

"Would you ... Would you say it one more time?" 

"What?" 

"The thing ... you know," he said as the tips of his ears got the same red shade as his cheeks.

I blinked, and then I understood what he meant. I smiled, and the warmth gathered on my face.

"Oh." 

However, my answer only made him blush even more. He was about to look down again when my voice caught his attention. 

"I love you." 

His smile slowly grew brighter, and he placed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Armitage then whispered a sweet "I love you" before he kissed me. His movements were careful at the beginning; however, he slowly got braver and deepened the kiss. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, and he pulled me closer. My name escaped from his lips as we broke the kiss. We were about to kiss again when the kitchen timer rang. Armitage chuckled and rested his forehead on mine.

"The potatoes are ready," he said.

"We should move," I said. 

"I suppose." 

"You are not moving." 

"Neither do you." 

I chuckled and kissed him one last time before moving the pot and turning off the stove. Then as Armitage mashed the boiled potatoes, I placed the flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt on a small bowl. After that, he grated some raw potatoes while I mixed the other ingredients in a larger bowl. Armitage added the grated raw potatoes and the buttermilk as I stirred the mixture. Finally, it was like a thick batter. Armitage heated a pan and added a pat of butter before scooping the Boxty batter onto it. He was looking quite pleased with the results, and his smile made his eyes almost crinkle. However, a ping caught his attention. Armitage took his phone out of his pocket, gave it a quick look, and put it back in again. 

"Is everything alright?" 

"Yes, one of my new clients sent their initial reports, but I will read them later."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes."

He looked at me and smiled gently. 

"That reminds me, Pryde said that you no longer work on the First Order." 

Armitage almost let the spatula fall to the floor as he turned with a bewildered look on his face. 

"Pryde? Did you talk with Enric Pryde again? Oh, God, what did he do to you? Please, don't tell me that he said something nasty to you. I swear, that man—"

I gave him a quick kiss, and he got quiet. However, the expression on his face told me that he needed answers. 

"I talked with him in the morning ... I also met Kylo Ren." 

Armitage put the spatula on the counter and turned completely to face me. He ran his hand over his face before frowning. 

"What, I mean ... How?" 

"Didn't you wonder how I ended up in the lobby?" 

"Honestly, I wasn't about to start questioning my luck."

I chuckled at his comment.

"Well, you see ... my friends and I came up with a plan." 

I told him. I told him everything, from the conversation I had with Phillip and Rick to the encounter I had with Enric Pryde and Kylo Ren. I told him how I followed a random stranger on the street and how lost I felt when I realized he wasn't Armitage, and he listened to every single word I said with such care and attention. 

"And now I'm here," I said.

"And now you are here," he repeated with love. 

He cupped my face and kissed me slowly, yet the smell of something burning took us out of our little world.

"Shit," he said.

He quickly moved the pan off the heat, but Armitage turned to look at me right away.

"Did they ... did they say something else about me?"

"Pryde said some idiotic things, but I was able to shut him up," I said with an innocent smile. 

"You—"

However, Armitage couldn't continue his sentences because he started laughing. 

"I can't imagine the look on his face ... Oh, God, you must be one of the few who has managed to silence that man." 

"I'm going to wear it as a badge of honor." 

Armitage laughed again and visibly relaxed more. He put another batch on the pan and smiled. 

"The day I presented my resignation was total madness," he said slowly. "For a second, I thought that Pryde was going to kill me. He even accused me of being a spy."

"A spy?" 

"I know!"

"Well, you kind of look like one," I said as I placed a kiss close to his collarbone. 

Armitage shuddered, and I chuckled. He raised an eyebrow and then gently smiled as if he was still wondering if I was real. 

"Are you already working in a new company?" I asked.

"Well, not really. I'm working as a consultant now. My first clients are the owners of a company called the Resistance. They want to improve their business performance. Nice company, terrible name," he said with a chuckle. 

Then, curiosity took over me.

"What made you quit? It's just that I thought you love the First Order."

He stayed silent for a moment as if he was trying to find the right words to explain his actions.

"It was an easy decision, to be honest."

"What happened?" I said, worry filling my words.

He kissed my forehead to ease my worries. 

"Nothing happened," he said. "After I came back, I started working as hard as I used to, even more. Pryde was horrible like always, and Ren was acting like a spoiled kid once more. One day, when I was alone in my office after everyone had left, I could imagine my future, and I wonder how many nights I would spend there, all alone." 

Armitage sighed and then looked at me. 

"So, the next day, I quit. Now, I just have a few clients, but it's more than enough. I haven't slept too well in the past few days, but, at least, I'm not working till 3 in the morning every single day."

As if Armitage was reading my mind, he quickly added a sentence that made my chest filled with warmth. 

"After our time in the woods, I believe I can't get used to the idea of sleeping alone." 

"Well, now you don't have to," I whispered.

"No, I don't." 

He pulled me closer, wrapped his arms around my waist, and rested his head on my shoulder. Armitage placed his hands over mine and guided my movements with tenderness. A few minutes after, Millicent was eating her dinner, and we were sitting on the sofa again. Armitage turned the TV on, and we started watching  _ The Creature from the Black Lagoon.  _ Just as the monster tried to grab the protagonist's ankle for the first time, I discovered that, indeed, the Boxty was the perfect combination of hash brown and a pancake, and Armitage looked pleased with himself. 

By the end of the movie, our plates were empty, and we were cuddling on the sofa. The night was getting colder, but the warmth between us was soothing. Armitage was mindlessly playing with my hair as my head rested on his chest. His heartbeat began to get faster after he cleared his throat and said my name. I looked up and saw him frowning. 

"Armitage? What is it?"

He gulped. 

"Would you mind ... would you mind staying the night?" 

That question surprised me, and heat ran to my face. Nonetheless, Armitage's face paled by the second.

"That-that sounded wrong. I'm sorry. I mean, if you would like to stay to sleep __ with me on the bed. Oh, God, I'm just making it sound even worse, don't I? I'm sorry, I—"

However, my laughter made him stop. His gaze fixed on mine as I smiled. 

"I would love to," I finally said. 

"You do?"

"Yes." 

His face recovered his natural color, and a shade of red appeared on his cheeks. Armitage smiled after a sigh escaped from his lips. 

"Good, I was afraid that you would say no ... I'm terrified of the idea of you leaving, to be honest." 

"What do you mean?"

He gave a glance to the TV, ashamed, before looking at me again. 

"I, well, this is going to sound completely stupid, but I'm afraid that if you go through that door, I won't see you again." 

"Armitage."

"I know it's stupid."

"It's not stupid. It's normal to feel that way, but I won't leave you, love." 

That last word left my lips again with such ease that surprised me. I thought for a second that Armitage wouldn't notice it; however, the look on his face showed the contrary. He pulled me closer and kissed me on the forehead. 

"I won't leave you neither," he said. "Let's go to bed." 

Armitage helped me get up and then guided me to his bedroom. He profusely blushed as I took off my skirt and then looked at me with such adoration when I called his name. He quickly kissed me and said he would be right back. I started moving the bed covers when Armitage came back with a new toothbrush and another quilt. Then he showed me where everything was in the bathroom, and we quickly got ready for bed. It was almost as a domestic dance between us. 

Finally, we were in bed, and he pulled me closer under the sheets. His lips were quick to find mine. His movements were sweet and showed such devotion that it was almost too much and, at the same time, not enough. An "I love you" escaped from my lips, and he deepened the kiss as a response. Yet, suddenly, Millicent jumped onto the bed, and we broke the kiss. I laughed as Armitage sighed. 

"Millicent, it's clear that we need to have a serious conversation about interrupting mom and dad." 

I laughed even more, and tears found its way to the corner of my eyes.

"What?" Armitage said. 

"Nothing, love." 

He smiled.

"I like it when you call me that way."

I kissed him one more time. 

"Good night, love."

"Good night ... I love you."

I gave him one more kiss before resting my head on his chest. Armitage surrounded me with his arm and sighed. I closed my eyes but immediately opened them when Millicent started meowing loudly. 

"Good night, Millicent," I said.

"Good night, Miss."

She got quiet right away, and that action made me chuckled. Armitage pulled me closer as I closed my eyes. Sleep didn't elude us that night. At that moment, I realized that it wasn't as we were back in the cottage; no, somehow, it was better. By the time morning came and knocked at the window, I felt rested and at peace. 

I opened my eyes but didn't dare to move. Armitage's arm was still around me, and he was still asleep. I looked up when the light of the sun rested on his har, and I saw it, the most beautiful mandarin red shade. In an instant, an idea struck me. I needed to change the last illustration of my book. No, I had to do it. 

"A lady is staring," he mumbled. 

"A lady loves the view." 

My comment made him chuckled as he opened his eyes. In them was such happiness that it reminded me of a child on the morning of his birthday. 

"Good morning, love," he said, "to you as well, Millicent."

He added the last part before Millicent could protest again. The dark circles under his eyes were lighter, and he looked more rested. His hair was a mess, but Armitage was smiling. 

"Do you have paper and a pencil?" I asked.

Armitage looked at me, confused, and then he laughed.

"I wasn't expecting that question." 

"Sorry, I just had an idea, and I need to sketch it." 

"Don't be sorry. You never know when you can get a perfect idea and," Armitage said, reaching his hand to the nightstand, "that's why I have a notebook and pencil right here." 

He gave it to me, and I moved a bit. Then I started drawing the grumpy red cat from my story sleeping in the middle of a sunflower. However, this time he wasn't alone like at the beginning of the book; this time, he had someone by his side. As I draw, Armitage started rushing his fingers through my hair, kissing me here and there.

"It's beautiful, Y/N." 

"Thank you, but I still need to paint it. I finally figured the right shade for the cat." 

"Oh, I don't have a lot of paints nor brushes here."

"Don't worry. I have more than enough back at my apartment," I said. "If you don't have plans for today,  _ we  _ could go there. The coffee shop next to my building has the best croissants in the whole city."

Armitage raised an eyebrow, acting as he was considering his options. Yet, his smile betrayed him.

"Let's get change, and I will drive us there."

Armitage gave me a small kiss, and then he got out of bed. Millicent meowed but didn't move. I followed Armitage's example and started getting ready. After a few minutes, we, including a very insistent and still sleepy Millicent, were in Armitage's black car. I told him my address, and we started moving soon after. However, from the moment I had seen his car, something was bugging me. 

"Armitage?"

"Hmh."

"You were at the Public Library that day, right?" 

He glanced at me and gulped. 

"Yes." 

"Why you didn't talk to me?"

He kept quiet for a moment and finally opened his mouth.

"I didn't know if you wanted to see me. When I had gathered enough courage, you were already with your friend. Phasma didn't let me hear the end of it."

I placed my hand over Armitage's, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Phasma is the friend you mentioned before, right?"

"Yes ... She likes you, by the way."

"Wait, what do you mean? I haven't met her." 

"Tall lady with light blonde hair?"

Then I remembered.

"The lady from the Public Library! Oh, you were the idiotic friend she was talking about." 

Armitage frowned, and I chuckled. 

"Well, she was right, but don't tell her I said that."

We kept talking about Phasma and how they had become friends. Armitage told me a few stories from when he began working at the First Order, and he even mentioned Ren a few times. When we arrived at my building, I went to the coffee shop and bought our breakfast. Minutes later, we were in front of my door. As we got inside, Armitage got quiet. His gaze went from a spot to another as his smile grew brighter. 

"It looks just like I had imagined." 

"What do you mean?" 

"It's full of color ... like yourself." 

My face felt warm, and I looked down. 

"You still have the sunflowers." 

"I couldn't leave them behind." 

Millicent walked in front of me and started exploring my apartment. Then Armitage walked up to me and hugged me. 

"Thank you," he whispered.

After a short kiss, I made some coffee for me and black tea for Armitage. We ate and talked, and then we made our way to the living room. Millicent claimed a spot on the sofa, so Armitage and I cuddled together. He was reading the reports on his phone as I redrew the sketch and started painting it. However, when I was finishing the background, I suddenly stopped and frowned. The same monster that lurked around my mind came out from under the bed and made its presence known. 

"Love?" Armitage said.

I turned and gave him an apologetic smile.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing, really, just some stupid idea."

Armitage raised an eyebrow. 

"I just got nervous, I guess. People always expect something good from me. So, I usually start doubting my work when I'm about to finish it."

"Do you like it? Your book, I mean. Do you like your new book?"

I kept quiet for a second.

"Yes, I do. With this new change, I feel that it's finally ready."

"There you have it. People will like it, and people will hate it. In the end, the only person who needs to love it completely is _ you.  _ And, if it helps, I believe you are a fantastic artist."

With that, just as quickly as the monster appeared, it went back to the darkness. I smiled and kissed Armitage on the cheek.

"Thank you for reminding me that."

"I'm going to keep reminding you of that as long as you let me be by your side," he said, echoing the words that I had uttered a few hours ago. 

I kissed him with all my love, and he kissed me back the same way. Then I gave him one more kiss and smiled when a thought crossed my mind.

"Wait, does that mean that you read my books?"

He smiled sheepishly. 

"All of them." 

My face was getting warmer by the second, but my smile never vanished.

"Would ... would you like to read the new book?" 

Armitage opened his eyes like moons. 

"Are you sure?" 

I nodded.

"It would be an honor."

I moved quickly and gave him my laptop. I kept painting while he read, giving him a few glances here and there. I finished the new illustration and waited. Maybe a minute or half an hour later, Armitage looked up. Weirdly enough, he seemed as if he was about to cry.

"Was that—?"

"Good? Yes," he said with a chuckle. 

His eyes found mine, and a smile began to form. However, I couldn't pinpoint the emotion behind it. He placed the laptop on the coffee table and pulled me closer before hugging me.

"It's the story I needed to read."

He kissed me one more time. 

"It's our story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovely people of the Internet, we enter the final stretch.   
> Thank you so much for your kind words.  
> See you next week.  
> Love,   
> x


	16. Red (epilogue)

People say that when you're happy, time moves faster. Somehow, a day with Armitage turned into a week, and a week into a month, and so on. The red leaves were gone, and the cold of winter was here to stay for a few months, at least. However, we had banished the freezing winds from our apartments since the day we found each other again. It didn't matter where we slept as long as we were together.

Phillip used to say that the best part of his day was coming home and seeing Rick there. The first time I came home and saw Armitage waiting for me with a cup of hot chocolate, I understood that better. It's nice to come home to someone you love. 

"Love, what do you think? The blue one or the red one?" Armitage said as he showed me two ties. 

"I like the blue one," I said, "but you don't have to wear one."

Armitage gave me an unimpressed look.

"It's your book launch," he said.

"Yes, but it's not a formal event." 

Armitage sighed.

"Are you sure? I've never been to one of those events, and I want everything to go perfectly." 

I chuckled at his comment and walked up to him. I kissed him on the cheek before taking the ties from his hand. 

"There will be kids there," I said gently. "Nothing goes according to the plan when kids are involved."

"Well, I ... okay, no tie," he said, a bit resigned. 

However, there was something else in his voice that I couldn't pinpoint. Yet, I didn't want to push it, so I kissed Armitage one more time, and I started getting ready. I saw him blushing from the corner of my eye as I took off my bathrobe. It was almost flattering how, every time he looked at me naked, there was a sense of wonder and desire in his eyes. I felt my face warm at the thought, but I pushed it aside. Although I wanted to kiss him as we make our way to the bed, we were on a sort of tight schedule.

"Help, please," I said. 

Armitage walked to where I was standing, and his hand found the zipper of my navy blue dress. However, mindlessly and slowly, his other hand moved and up and down my back. I shivered, and he chuckled. Armitage gently began to kiss my neck as he zipped up my dress. I turned, and my lips quickly found his. When the kiss died with a sigh, Armitage softly looked at me, yet a frown appeared on his face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You're nervous, and I don't think it is because of the event."

Armitage kept quiet for a moment and, then, offered me a shy smile.

"Sometimes, you can read me too well," he admitted, defeated. 

I kissed him and smiled, trying to reassure him. 

"What is it?" I asked one more time. 

Armitage gulped, but his eyes never left mine.

"Come, it'd better if I show you something." 

Armitage took my hand and guided me to the living room. Millicent jumped off the new bed I'd bought for her and quickly followed us behind. We stopped when we were right in front of the Christmas tree and the boxes filled with the ornaments. Armitage kissed my hand and let it go. Then, he started looking in one box until he found a small crystal ornament. The shape of it made me smile: a cottage. 

"I don't remember buying that one," I said. 

"I-I bought it last week," Armitage said as he offered me the little crystal cottage. 

I took it and admired the tiny details that decorated the Christmas ornament from closer. 

"Open it." 

I raised an eyebrow, but I didn't say anything as I quickly realized that I could take off the roof of the little house. Inside of it was a key. I took it as my heart started jumping up and down inside my chest. I looked up and saw Armitage fidgeting and blushing. 

"I was planning on giving it to you tonight, but I guess I couldn't wait any longer."

"What is this, Armitage?"

"The cottage's key."

"The cottage?"

"Our cottage," he said, coming closer. 

"Our cottage," I repeated, still confused. 

"I bought it ... for us."

However, I didn't say anything right away. I was too shocked to utter any coherent word, and Armitage grew more nervous.

"We could ... we could go every year. It would be like our little haven away from the city, just for us, for our family. I-I thought that—"

I kissed him. His body immediately relaxed at my touch, and his lips started moving and responding to mine. The fingers from my free hand ran through his hair as Armitage grew bolder and gently requested access to deepened the kiss. I complied right away. Soon, he pulled me even closer, and my name escaped from his lips. Slowly, the warmth between us grew until we had to pull away, or we would burn. 

"Thank you," I said.

"Do you like it?"

"It's more than I could ever ask. I would love to go there with you every year." 

"Every year?" he asked.

"Only if you don't get tired of me."

Armitage chuckled and smiled. 

"I will never get tired of you ... So, we will go to the woods every year till we are old."

I smiled at the idea.

"I love you," Armitage said.

"I love you too," I said. 

Armitage kissed me one more time, and I melted. I used to joke around when I read that a protagonist melted in a kiss. However, I understood that feeling at that moment. Indeed, it was possible to melt when you pour everything you feel in a single kiss that turns into two or more. 

"It's getting late," he said as I kissed down his neck and gently nibbled the skin close to his collarbone. 

"You are not moving." 

"Well, a lady is making things a bit more complicated for me." 

"You want me to stop?" 

"Not at all." 

After those words left his mouth, his lips were over mine one more time. However, a sweet jingle made us stop. We turned and saw that Millicent was jumping out of a box with a Christmas ornament in her mouth and moving her tail happily. Armitage gently laughed and rested his face on my shoulder as I chuckled. 

"She is going to destroy the Christmas tree," he said. 

"Come on, have a little more faith. Millicent won't climb the tree and destroy it, probably." 

He chuckled at my response and sighed, but Armitage was happy. 

"What do you think if finish decorating the tree tonight?" he said. 

"I'd love to." 

He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before checking his clock.

"We have to go, or we're going to be late."

"That's why Phillip loves you." 

He laughed a bit before taking my hand. Armitage intertwined his fingers with mine and smiled. I gently placed the ornament and the key in front of the sunflowers, and my heart filled with warmth. Later, after Millicent protested about being left behind, we went outside. In a matter of minutes, we were in his car. Then, Armitage drove us to the Public Library, and we went inside. The room where the event would take place had little paper leaves here and there; it was almost like a small sea of reds and oranges. People were already in their seats, and I could see a few kids dressed up as cats. We walked around, and Armitage squeezed my hand when we saw one of my drawings on a poster.

"You are amazing," he whispered in my ear. 

I felt myself blushing, but I couldn't answer because Phillip and Rick came to where we were. They hugged us and smiled brightly. It was nice to see them all together. It was true that Phillip was a bit reticent of Armitage at the beginning—and I didn't blame him for that. Yet, Phillip and Armitage quickly became friends, to the point that they spend talking hours about recipes or business. 

"Oh, dear. You two look adorable in blue," said Rick with a goofy smile. 

Armitage's face was red and quickly mumbled a "thank you." I laughed freely and kissed him, making him blush even more if that was possible. 

"We are going to start in a few minutes," Phillip said with a winning smile. "Armitage, why don't you join us on the front row." 

"I'll be right there in a second," he said.

Our friends smiled and nodded. Then, Phillip went to talk to one of the librarians, and Rick quickly found his seat. Armitage turned and faced me. The red shade on his cheeks was still there, and his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Probably," I said with a kind of nervous smile.

Armitage's look softened, and he gave me a small kiss on my forehead. 

"Whatever happens, I'll be there, waiting to hold your hand for as long as you want me."

He said my name one last time.

"I love you."

"I love you, Armitage."

He smiled brightly and placed one loose strand of hair behind my ear. We kissed one more time before he went to where my friends were sitting. I looked around for an instant; the room was full. Kids and their parents were talking and laughing. My name was on the posters, and many kids were already hugging my new book. A weird sense of pride filled my heart. After a minute or two, my eyes went to the shelves full of books that were next to me. My fingers ran over the cover of the books, and I stopped when a title caught my eyes: _Into the Woods_ by John Yorke. 

I remembered reading that book when I was in college. Yorke said that the journey into the woods is part of every story. That's where a character faces the monster that hides in the forest and finds themself by being lost. Yet, he seemed to paint the woods as dark and scary, like a place where a character loses all hope the minute they set foot in it.

My gaze went from the book and swiftly locked with Armitage's. He smiled with such tenderness that an idea came to my mind. Maybe the forest isn't this frightening and horrid place all the time; somehow, it could be the contrary. Perhaps, just perhaps, a character could see the woods as a refuge from the world they leave behind. At least, in my experience, the forest could be a haven. After all, I didn't find a monster hiding in it; I found someone to share every day and every year. 

My mind stopped wandering as Lucy, my editor, started talking and greeting everyone. Then Armitage clapped and smiled when she announced my name. As I walked to the stage, he mouthed a sincere: "I love you." 

Yes, I think I could be right. Because, in the end, what's wrong with wishing for a happy ending when you go into the woods?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started writing this story, I was kind of nervous. Although I've written in English before, it was mostly academic. So I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to convey emotions as well as in Spanish. However, week after week, I felt more comfortable. A lot of that comfort came from all of you.  
> Thank you so much for all your support and kindness every week. I have a few ideas on my mind (including one about these two dorks), but I just need to plan them (I like to have a clear structure for the stories before actually writing them).  
> So, see you soon, guys.  
> Love,  
> The Green Witch

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is my first fic in English. Any comments are truly appreciated. :D


End file.
